Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-02

coming. I have seen no village for several
marches"
mo, there are none to the south Of us
for many miles" replied Bwana. "Snce
xovudoo deserted his country 7 rather
doubt that one could find a native in that
direction under two or three hundred
niles"
Bwana was wondering how a lone white
man could have made his way through
the savage, unhospitable miles that lay to-
ward the south. As though guessing what
must be passing through the others mind
the stranger vouchsafed explanation
IT came down from the north to do a
little trading and hunting" he said, "and
got way off the beaten track My head
man, who was the only member Of the
safari who had ever before been in the
country. took sick and died. We could find
no natives to guide us. and SO I simply
swung back straight north. We have been
living on the fruits of our guns for over
a month.
Didn't have an idea there was a white
man within a thousand miles of us when
we camped last night by a waterhoe at
the edge of the plain This morning I
started out TO hunt and saw the smoke from
your chimney, so I sent my gun bearer
back to camp with the good news and rode
straight over here myself. OF course. I've
heard of you-everybody who comes into
Central Africa does--and I'd be mighty
around here for a couple of weeks"
Certainly" replied Bwana. Move your
camp up close TO the river below my boys
amp and make yourself at home"
They had reached the veranda now, and
Bwana was introducing the stranger to
Merlem and My Dear, who had just come
rom the bungalows interior
This Is Mr.. Hanson" he said. using the
name the man had given him. HE Is a
trader who has lost his way in the jungle to
the south"
My Dear and Merlem bowed their
acknowledgements of the Introduction.
The man seemed rather i'll at ease in their
presence. His host attributed this to the
fact that his guest was unaccustomed to
the society of cultured women. and so found
q pretext to extricate him quickly from
his seemingly unpleasant position and
lead him away to his study and the brandy
and-soda which were evidently much less
embarrassing to Mr.. Hanson.
When the two had left them, MerIem
turned toward My Dear.
"1t Is odd" she said; but could al
most swea' that 1 had known Mr.. Hanson
in the past, 1t is odd but quite impossible -
and she gave the matter no further
thought.
Hanson did not accept Bwana's invita- =
ton to move his camp closer to the bunga-
low. He said his boys were inclined to
be quarrelsome and so were better Off at
a distance; and he himself was around
but little, and then always avoided coming
into contact with the ladies'. A fact which
naturally aroused only laughing comment
on the rough traders bashfulness.
He accompanied the men on several
hunting trips. where they found him per-
fectly at home and well versed In all the
finer points of big game hunting. OF an
evening he often spent much time with the
white foreman of the big farm, evidently
finding in the society of this rougher man
more common interests than the cultured
| guests of Bwana possessed for him.
So II came that his was a familiar figure
| about the premises by night He came
| and went he saw fit, often wandering
| alone in the great flower garden that was
| the especial pride and Joy of My Dear and
| Meriem. The first time that he had been
surprised there he apologized gruffly, ex-
| planning that he had always been fond OF
| the good old blooms of northern Europe
| which My, Dear had so successfully trans
| planted in African soil.
Was It,, though, the ever-beautiful bios
| SONS of hollyhocks and phlox that drew