The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-02-01

/ the saddle she rode away, while the
to the gravest misgivings.
/; The settlement was quickly left be-
/ hind. The last housetop dropped be-
| low the skyline as the horse GAL
Hoped over the great waves of grass
land. Mary had no thought for her
surroundings; only for her destina-
ton and the object of her journey.
Her way lay over treeless waste.
To her right was the narrow, wind
ing river; beyond that the rise Of
| limestone veldt. To her left illimit-
able, varying bush veldt that went on
unchanged to the distant desert. Be-
| fore her q blank skyline without
| tree or bush or hill. She was head
| ing for the Transvaa1 Border, but
first of all the drift on the Molopo
River called "Rietfontein."
As she rode she thought of those
she had left behind her. Even Emily
had left her, or, as she put it, de-
serted her in anger. Did she deserve
| it? 1t seemed to her that everybody
had left her to her fate. She WON
dered why.
! Not for a moment did she pause
to consider the right or wrong of
| what she was doing. It seemed to
| her to be her only possible course; a
course marked out for her by an un-
seen. all-powerful hand. There was
nothing to do but follow it. 1t was
all very hard. She had tried to do
| her duty, and now her spirit seemed
utterly broken. The coming Of her
love for her husband had weakened
it, and with hope crushed she felt
| that her heart was broken.
Nor could she shut out the same
| full thought that he had, while living
| with her, permitted, sanctioned, even
forced another to make love to her.
1t was horrible, cruel. Where was
his right? Even supposing what ne
believed had been true, surely the
indignity he had put upon her was
in no way justifiable. Should he not
rather have turned her out, sent her
from him? The thought of what
might have. happened was terrifying.
1t was brutal. Yes. she must go. He
! wanted it, and she would tell him
that he might have spared her all
the indignity he had put upon her
| She would have left him had he but
l 81 H. 10 4 -
She was nearing the Rietfontein
| drift. The sunlight lit the distance,
and in the familiar haze she could
| just see where the river crossed her
object on the road ahead of her, too.
The heat-haze was too deceptive to
allow her to be sure of it's identity.
! It might be cart or stray OK. She
refined UP to let it get on and cross
the drift before her. Then she again
became absorbed in thought But
presently she reused, for the object
further obtruded itself upon her no.
tice. 1t was coming towards her,
and she saw that it was horseman.
| Suddenly she pulled up. A mo-
ment later she turned the horse off
the road intending to make de-
tour. She did not want to meetSany-
body and be recognized. AS she
turned off the road the man she was
trying to avoid did the same. but ne
never slackened his pace. She touch
ed her horse with the spur and set
cut at fast gallop. But before she
had gone hundred yards she drew
up with an exclamation of horror
The man had changed his course
again SO as to cut her off, and now
he was near enough to her to dis
tinguish him. 1t was her husband:
She sat quite still on her hard
breathing animal. She was paralyzed;
| even her thoughts seemed at a stand
still.
! Ferrnan rode up. He drew rein so
| that he sat abreast of her. His knee
was touching the skirt of her habit.
His face was calmly serious Only
his eyes were curiously alight When
he spoke there was no harshness in
/ his voice.
Where are you going, Mary?"
There was no greeting, no explana-
ton Of his presence there. The whole
thing had the appearance of an ordi-
nary meeting.
His question restored the girls
faculties. Her heart was beating
rapidly, and her breathing was
tumultuous. And now in his pres
ence the old spirit, which had SEEM
ed dead when she had been alone
with her thoughts, came 20 her aid
Her lovely eyes grew cold, the little
| face flushed. and there was an omin-
Gus own-drooping of the corners Of
her mouth.
She looked him straight in the
eyes.
This road leads to Rietfontein,"
she said sharply. Then she laughed
| mirthlessly. ST have always tried to
be an obedient wife, therefore 1 am
now trying to carry out your wishes"
NY wishes?"
The girls eyes never left his face.
She could have torn her tongue out
| by the roots while she was speaking,