Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-19
CHAPTER XI-Continued.
Egain Presents the Head of the FIR

Egain Presents the Head of the Firm
Laura Slade looked after them visit
fully. There was something between
these two that she could not fathom
and vaguely feared. At Smooth river and
on the M'poso their tank had been on the
chilliest details of business. and only the
most bare civilties PASSED beyond 1t
had seemed to her then that at any mo-
ment a word might bring n permanent
rupture. and she had pleaded with each
10 accept the other ia n more reasonable
spirit. She was engaged to Carter: he
kent reminding her Of the tie in twenty
inherent ways each CAV. She had lived
nhder the aegis of the O'Nei1l and Craven
urn all her life. and exaggerated its
Importance. and she begged Carter not to
throw away what was his livelihood now
ana what would be FRS when she mar
ried him.
Kate. too. was her friend and to-
rether they had been the closest of con
ndants She had known the secret of
me firms Mr.. X. C'Neill" almost as
long as old Crewdson had known it. and
she had kept that secret Loyalty in spite
OF the keenest temn alton.
Kate l even kept it from George"
%ceor nad said and Kate had replied
george being Mr. Carter. I supposeo'
Up to the time THAI they left the Mnoso
u seemed hopeless 20 bring them even
INTO the most stiff agreement And then
the first morning she woke IN Of Mol,Li
there was Kate in Il Madeira chair ON ~
Eeranda. with George Carter sitting on
Tue ran beside her. and the pair of them
Mere iaueh1ng and chatting as easily as
year. ohe announcer
9he mad never got what she .thoupbt
any SATISFACTORY exclamation of how this
49,. Oh me tension had been brought
Trout. She asked Carter and he said he
.iao arrived at the conclusion he had
mereiS been rude ass" and II was
o oiT TO De e ashamed Of himself and try
tempted to sound Kate. and was mara1,
o3hsratulated on being enga eed to a re-
al. nice man. And thereafter she had
W"tched an intimacy grow between thnr,
-. Mhch somehow q. other in snite NJ
.helr obviously labored efforts 70 IN w
ciuGe her, she had no part. " III
cat All ,ulhtd away from the door now and
uoWh IN one of the veranda chairs
EM,nlch the thrifty German had made for
binG Se II out or palm-oil puncheon. Re.
woman to,ka ed h Mnite man and the white
Airlca and night. No moon had risen vas .
NV or the stars were lit. FireHiea
in he r ,n ana ont at unexpected places
lShlng when their spasm of light Ill
1 ,h Tie night breeze sang eentiY
tba nir me trees and gave sharpness to
one ar. ana the drone of insects kent to
one low insstent note like tbe d;ston.
uiurhur OF the river. The factory hors
..Ireu with their merciless work. sIent Rnt
from the bush beyond the clearina +here
came ever and again groan or . ,l n
or shrlek. as often as not dimned 70
go TluIthur by distance. to keep her
a"are OF the axiom that Africa never
Sleeps and always carries pain.
me land breeze blew strong and har
orTss was thin She shivered a little and
m br,, LOT Carter as he had taught her
WIN II at once and covered her shon1ders
H. she was pleased to think tenderly.
re even stopped and talked to her for a
minute or so. Then he said he n,ust 90
and see Miss Heads last case. and one
n s,r went into the living room She
strained her ears to listen and she hoard
tho butterfly talk begin again w. ~ ~
had broken of WHERE IL
They had an alarm that night that the
tEkE-men were coming. Into the blonl,
silence Of sleep there came the rnar " nf X
heavy charge of black trade powder os
sentry discharged his dew-filled fintincL
The whites. the Portuguese and the t;rad
factory boys reused into instant wakef,I-
ness. Their nerves We're too nicely set
to need a second shaking SCI
Laura met Carter in nv iau,ac &c T., -
in the act Of humping upon her hed 80,
door. on. YOU have got up" he said
,, mat good. Well don't show light
while You dress. and keen under sheitar
go down" '' oeiore
She put her arms round his neck and
pulled him to her and kissed him violent
a 5f You came for me first then. after
You little goose, % course did. Wives
frst. employers next. Here 7 must 90
or the battle will be over before I'm dow
The odds are those heroes are blazing
away at nothing"
up to the palisade poked the muzzle of his
gun through Il loophole nulled trigger
and drew comfort from the din Presently
Carter came up to the breastworlt
climbed To the banGuettp and leaned over
and then r"ercd long and hard through
the night He could see nothing He got
down, and with trouble found the sentry
who Rad fred the first shot When he had
thumucd the man INTO calmuess. ii turned
ont thta he had seen nothing also. He
'lih for shoot by himself" OR in nlainer
English: the man had dozed with his hand
round his gunlock to keep the damn from
N" printing; ne had been struck by n
nightmare and had pulled the trigger He
had aimed at nothing. His gun muzzle
had been upright and he lib for shoot
dem moon"
Cascaes, the Portuguese. came up with
q Winchester under his arm in time to
hear the end of this explanation The
negro ikea some noise, eh. senhor?'
What about yourself2" asked Carter
unrivlly. Haven't YOU been Joining in?
J suppose you're first cousin to these fell
Casraes put = little finger down the
UuzZic Of his :if'c; wiped it round lit a
match ana showed that the finger was
.ot! I leg pardon" said Carter II
thought You were likely TO share in the
VOL" said the Portuguese thoughtfuIiy.
Il s5,rTose l must count that an apology
Othe-visH ] should have shot you. Good
aieNt sTuh0r."
Cas'er waited until the man turned. ran
IN ,irii hiy and pluck"d away his rifle. And
now said -. 'tust let us understand one
arOtilc- -S&ctly before we go any further
I'm standing quite all the risks from out
side 5tlt I've any use for just at present
Il tnere's any shooting TO he done nongst
ourselves ! prefer to do il myself. So first
or all lets hear your trouble
In the flrst-I place. ! am not .egro
aIn European OF blood-a pure as your
ov9a an far-a-more ancient"
'If the apology J gave you Just now