The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-04-07

her hair, a few treasured let
ers, my watch and signet ring and was \
me rs he doubtlessly be-
ieved to my death.
"By superhuman effort began to
lrag myself towards the river and if ]
was capable of thought at all it was
only to reason why the Zulus were so
long in overtaking me. 1t was not un-
til many months later learnt the rea-
son of my non-pursuit and this because
a scouting party, unseen by myself, had
come upon this small band and DIS
persed them. How reached the river
| know not. must have instinctively
drank freely of water and then bound
my wound for when l was discovered,
some hours later, by this same scouting
party, who had so providentially divert
ed the enemy from me, I was in an an
conscious condition, but in no imme-
diate danger, because of the care had
bestowed upon my wound.
sFor weeks I lay in the Hospital to
which had been transferred before l
realized that my wife would believe me
dead and that the stealing OF my be-
longings by Downing was evidently
part of his plan to convince her of my
DEATH
"These thoughts filled my mind and
resulted in brain fever. 1t was many
months before was able to sit up or
even talk coherently. After securing
my discharge Ihastened home. [ found
an empty house. Inquiries convinced
me that my wife had believed me dead
and had been persuaded by. Downing
to marry him even though as she open
" asserted-now that was dead as she
thought, she realized her love for me. All
my efforts to discover their whereabouts
at first proved futile. The earth might
have swallowed them.
| "One night, when was on the point
| of abandoning my search, was told by
an agent whom had employed that a
man answering the description OF
Downing was runninga gambling
house in mining camp up country.
The party who furnished this informa-
ti.n also told me that this man had
been politely requested to leave GER
tain hotel aud this because he had struck
his wife when accused by her of drunk
, enness. was further Informed thai
a the lady had left the hotel the follow
, ing day and gone whittier, no one knew
: "Following this slight clue [ went tt
3 Buluwayo and thence to Salisbury. !
!. will not dwell upon my inquiries or th'
9 results, because you will have alread!
y guessed that found my wife's deceiver
Neither will | allude to tie interview
, which followed or of certain meeting
y the following morning at dawn an
n the result of which may account TO
, my desire to lie still known as Donova
~ Steele.
ri "For years and years l still continue
?. my search for my wife. 1t was, afte
f SO many years of failure, that | lost a
w hope, all desire to live, all thoughts i
10 common with my fellowmen that | b'
~ came trader-even in slaves and NAL
+. ing Zanzibar my headquarters. live
90 life which knew no rest, no ambitio
ID and which / would gladly have ende
or had 1 not the fear of hereafter
an was during my last trip into the interi'
be L happened to open case and whi
nv unwrapping some packages saw phi
~ tograph of myself as appeared thir'
on years ago staring me in the face. II
10 package had been enclosed in an o
uo English paper and amongst the missil
-. friends was an inquiry from my wife
~. "Perhaps weary you but nay tale
:, now told. It seems that one of t
- scouts who had originally saved I
"a ne ar the Kwanda river had located ne
;,a my wife. They had met and becor
- friends. He had heard her tale q
no also realized how deeply she had
-. pented her folly. Had assured h
'o that she had always been pure, bu
ma foolish girl. She also spoke of The tt
his character of Downing and on the
ved chance that I might be still alive
ba advertisement had been put in
paper. l have only to add that we
not now united and happy; that my wife
0m- at present In this very hotel waiti
onp like the rest of us for the storm to alb
ras before leaving with me for sum
climes and one long honeymoon.
'ut- men, 1 will ask you all
my ur future hal lpiness."
'ketl A. /