The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-31

all the day that followed he felt z | strange throbbing in his head. ant | found himself turning ever towards
 the north. The next night he dreamed | again of her, and heard her say, '-Tht search has been far and long, but have found you, Richard. Open you | eyes now. and you will see my face
 So he opened his eyes, and there. sure
 enough, on the darkness he perceived
 the outline of her sweet, remembered
 face. about which fell her golden hair
 For one moment only he perceived it. then 1t was gone. and after that hel presence never seemed to leave him
 He could not see her. he could not 1 touch her, and yet she was ever at his 1 side. His brain ached with the thought I of her, her breath seemed to fan his i hands and hair. At night her face | hoated before him. and in his dreams
 her voice called him. saying: Come to | me. come to me, Richard. I am i'll need of you Come to me. I myself ] will be your guide.''
 Then he would wake, and remember ing that she was dead, grew sure and ever surer that the Spirit of Rachel
 was calling him down to death. It called him from the north. always from the north. Soon he could scarce , walk southwards. or east or west, for ere he had gone many yards his feet
 turned and set his face towards the
 north. that was to the narrow nek be- tween the precipices which the Kaffirs
 guarded night and day.
 One evening he went to his hut to sleep, if sleep would come to him. It came. and with it that face and voice,
 but the face seemed paler, and the voice more insistent
 "Will you not listen to me-" it said,
 you who were my love? For how long must I plead with you? Soon my
 power will leave me- the opportunity will be passed, and then now will you find me. Richard. my lover? Rise up, rise up and follow ere it be too late, for I myself will be your guide.'
 He awoke. He could bear it no more. Perhaps he was mad, and these were visions of his madness, mocking visions that led him to his death. We'll, if so, he still would follow them. Per- haps her body was buried in the north. If so. he would be buried there also; perhaps her Soul dwelt in the north. Is so, his soul would fly thither to join 1t. The Kaff1rs would kill him in the pass. Well, if so, he would die with his face set northwards whither Ra- chel drew him.
 He rose up and wrapped himself in cloak of goatskins. He filled a hide bag with sun-dried flesh and parched with gourd of water, for after all he might live a little while and need food and drink. As he had no gun he took a staff and a knife and a broad -bladed spear. and leaving the hut, set his face northward and walked towards the mouth of the nek. At the first step which he took the torment in his head seemed to leave him. who fought n~ longer. who had become obedient to that mysterious summons. Quietness and confidence possessed him. He was going to his end. but what did it mat ter: The dream beckoned and he must follow. The moon shone bright, but he took no trouble to hide himself. it did not seem to be worth while.
 Now he was in the nek and drawing near to the place where the guard was ckn openly. As he thought, they were on the alert. They drew out from behind the rocks and barred his path.
 "Whither goest thou. lord Dario?" asked their captain. "Thou knowest that here thou mayest not pass"
 T follow a Ghost to the north,'' he answered. "and living or dead. pass"
 'Ow!' said the captain. t'He says nothing to do with ghosts. Take him, unharmed if possible, but take him.
 So, urged thereto by their own fears. since for their safetys sake they dared not let him go. the men sprang to- where he stood waiting the end. for give back he would not, and of a sud den fell down upon their faces, hiding their heads among the stones. Richard did not know what had happened to them that they behaved thus strange 1y, nor did he care. Only seeing them fallen he walked on over them, and puSueQ ms way along 3Lne nek ana down it to the plains beyond.
 All that night he walked. looking be- hind him from time to time to see if any followed, but none came. He was alone, quite alone. save for the dream that led him towards the north. At sunrise he rested and slept a. while, then, awaking after midday, went on his road. He did not know the road, yet never was he in doubt for a mo- ment. It was always clear to him whitfer he should go. That night he finished his food and again slept a while, going forward at the dawn. In the morning he met some Kaff1rs, who questioned him. but he answered only that he was following a Dream to the north. They stared at him, seemed to grow frightened and ran away. But presently some of them came back and placed food in his path, which he took and left them.
 He came to the kraal Mafooti. It was utterly deserted. and he wandered amidst it's ashes. Here and there he found the bones of those who had per- ished in the fire. and turned them over with his staff wondering whe ther any of them had belonged to Rachel. In that place he slept a night thinking that perhaps his Journey was ended and that here he would die where he | believed that Rachel had died. But when he walked at the dawn, it was to find that something within him still l drew him towards the north, more indeed than ever before.
 CTo be Cont1nued.1