Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-05-21

went back on me, bolting one nlght with
all my trade goods. leaving me only my
canoe, with my personal effects and a
few provisions in the cruelest corner in
Africa.
The natives around there are cannibals
as you know, and 1 didn't do much trav-.
cling by daylight. 1 got across to the
western bank one night and drew in I'M
der the growth by the river edge SOS to
escape observation. 1t was steaming hot
and the place stank. l couldn't sleep,
tired out as 1 was, so l ran through my
uncle's letter again. just to pass the time,
although 1 had thought II threadbare al
ready But / couldn't think what L was
going to do about i'll mean for the girl
at knew nothing of her, and she less of
me, but she at least had never done me
or mine harm, and II seemed hard that
she alone should be the scapegoat. was
independent financially had sight drafts
with me for all / possessed, and the two
rose diamonds as well. So long as I
scraped through alive with these 1 need
never want. But with the girl it was
quite different, and that through no fault
of her own.
well, was lying there in the shade,
sweating, body and brains, when 1 saw a
canoe coming down river round the bend,
and dropped the letter to pick up my rife.
was half afraid that had been spotted.
But no more followed it, and there was
only a single man in the one had sight
ed. He was sitting bolt upright, drifting.
when he came little nearer saw he
was wearing a helmet. which gave me a
jolt. I couldn't conceive what a white
man could be doing there alone, but, in
any case, 1 hailed him several times
and he paid not the slightest attention.
An eddy caught the canoe, and it went
sagging away toward midstream. On the
spur of the moment put out after him.
81 raised my voice as 1 ran alongside,
but still he did not reply and a single
glance showed me that he was dead. The
black devils had done things to him as
well as killed him, for-he had no face.
He was held in position by two short
spears, one under each shoulderblade, a
haft made fast to each gunwale. 1 felt
sick, very sick, O'Ferral.
But he had been a white man, and
was bound to do something. 1 drove both
canoes back among the branches, and
picketed them with my paddles while +
held an inquest on him. He was raggedly
dressed, could not have been either SOL
der, skypilot or trader, and 1t wasn't a
nice thing to have to do, but did it. 1
wanted some clew. 1 found none.
LAS soon as I'd finished I Topped down
in my own craft, and my fingers fell on
my uncle's letter.
THAT gave me my cue like a flash.
miles Quaintance had left me one loop
hole. There was a provision in his will
to the effect that. If I should die during
the u months grace he allowed me, his
money would go to the girl.
| II may have been half mad then, but
1t seemed quite simple All 1 had to do
was to shift my identity on TO the Shout
| ders Of this poor fellow and then I would
be perfectly 1fee to choose a fresh one
for myself. There was not a soul in the
wide world to wear mourning for me,
and 1 could see no reason whatsoever
against the exchange.
$50 I set to work and did the thing
| thoroughly. When was through with 1t,
/ even you would have sworn from the evil
dence that it was Stephen Quaintance
who presently went drifting downstream
toward Yola, stone dead.
| HE carried with him every scrap of
identihable property 1 possessed-except
the drafts and the diamonds, of course
land that was more than sufficient to
satisfy any coroner's jury. 1 knew that he
/ couldn't help reaching Yoa, and that l
could trust the Englishmen there to see
everything shipshape, and send the news
| on.
81 spent the rest of the day making
a will bequeathing all Stephen Quain-
! tance posed to "A. Newman Endorsed
my drafts to that name, and practiced
What does A. stand for?" interrupted
OFerral
"Oh. anything. Call It Ananias-I don't
/ care.
80 that now, you see, the girl will
/ get my uncle's money, to which she's
| justly entitled, while I'm as we'll off as
ever, and-no ones the worse. There are
still a few weeks of the year to run,
/ but they'll surely have proof of my
death before these are up, and that will
settle the whole thing satisfactorily.
Don't you think so, O'Ferral?"
| "O'Ferral was silent for some time, and
then nodded gravely. And Quaintance s
face cleared.
81 think I'd have done much the same
in your place." said his friend. "If no
Unforeseen complication arise, I don't
| see why you should ever have cause to
regret what you've done"
81 think I've provided for every eventu-
atty Quaintance asserted. 81 think
I've made everything safe for the girl
and myself"
| O'Ferral nodded again.
| you've done what you could" he said,
briefly. mo man can do more. It's up
TO fate now, and-how did you get
homer"
'T had a pretty rough time of it after
that, living Lord knows how and not
knowing where to turn But Providence
preserved me in my folly. I was picked
up by an exploring party, whom I told
truthfully that 1 had been deserted by
my carriers. With them I worked the
coast, and then took ship for New York
I would have told no one but you my
story and you will not forget that Ste
phen Quaintaince is dead and buried"
O'Ferral had listened with the closest
attention to his friends strange tale, and
was wondering what the sequel might me.
| But Quaintance, having relieved his mind,
was already occupied with other and
more urgent ideas, and presently spoke
again.
did you notice a girl who went out
Just as you must have entered?" he ask
ed ingeniously, and the correspondent,
waking from visions of the wild world
and Africa. of a sluggish, broad brown
river a dead man affoat in frail canoe
on it's currents, came back to a sudden
consciousness that he was in Martin 5,
between Fifth avenue and Broadway in
New York
| whats that?" he inquired, blinking,
bewildered, and Quaintance repeated the
question.
"A girl. EN-? Oh, yes, noticed a girl
and a man-and you. all at the same
time. 1 was much inclined to assault
and batter that rat-faced scoundrel my