The Detroit times., 1909-05-12

TIN the first year the crop showed
promise OF paying expenses, the mort
cages were called I'm wholesale, not
only In his case. but from all hi ;
neighbors. That bred regular panic
throughout the district. and. since
there was no help for It. the old home
had 10 20. Blu, my father died In IL
first. of a broken heart. not knowing
that IL was his brother Miles who had
struck the blow which killed him.
That came out later.
Il was "A very small boy then, but
| learned in time that my wealthy
uncle was the best hated man in COW
ington county, and why. He had new
er set foot in IL. either, since he had
started for San Francisco, where he
made his pile. How he made II.
have no earthly idea.
After my father was dead. my
mother suffered all sorts OF petty per-
seCution at Miles Quaintance's hands.
found that out too late. O'Ferral. but
give you my word that more
malignant scoundrel II would be diff
cult To conceive. And she, all the time.
was sacrificing herself to give me an
education. And | didn't know.
She even managed, out OF the pit
lance she had TO live on, To send me
across TO the School of Mines In
Paris. and. when ! go home again. |
heard for the first time OF the man
who had made first burden to her
for so long. | wanted TO so west and
cssj accounts with him then, but she
wouldn't have that. | owed IL to her
To do as she wished. and | waited
Il had not been with her for more
than a month when | had the offer OF
an opening with what seemed very
brilliant prospects in the diamond
fields OF South Africa. We talked II
over. and she thought thar | should
take it, believe now that she was
only anxious To see me safe beyond the
sphere OF my uncle's influence. She
IL Jared for me, after what mad befallen
ny father. But she herself would not
leave the cottage at Covington where
she had lived. Shed rather wait
there she, said, until was ready 10
buy back our home, and that wouldn't
be very long.
1T wasn't so very long. either. for
did well In Capt Colony, butt was
toe late after all She had been dead
and buried for six weeks before |
heard of Il. and-that his me harder
than anything else I've ever had TO
put up with.
His voice shook slightly.
Il couldn't stay on in Kimberly after
that, and didn't care TO come back TO
America. | wanted to get away from
everything. | didn't much care what
happened 10 me. So | went ffnorth.
making more money I did not need
by the way. wandered On through
Central Africa. exploring and shoot
ing, doing anything To kill time. IL |
had been a little less careless II might
have killed me, as | sometimes half
hoped il would But the more fool
hardness | displayed the more miracu-
lousy did scrape through. Ii was
when n lion. whose mate had shot.
chased me into crack In the ground
anu kept ne there all one afternoon
that | came across the rose-diamonds.
some day I'll go back there and looh
for more in the Lobisa country. not
far from the old Loangwa trail Don
forget that. O'Ferral. II you're ever
herd up and I'm not on hand to help
yoC out.
Il needn't bore you with all the de-
tails of my wanderings during those
years. But after you and | had met
and parted put northwest. The car.
ricrs | had with me struck and turned
tail when We reached the Baghirmi
country. but as luck would have IL,
ran across a French convoy and so
cot 10 Fort Bretonnet. IL seemed that
I couldn't lose myself. no matter how
hard | tried.
,To Re ContinuedO