The Washington times., 1920-03-21
She and Alldnaessy &HRaer Aaaaard

dead and were thinking Of trek.
king homewsrd. Here. also. Thorn
sso greeted Us. though think that
he, like the Zulus. was astonished
at our safe return and. indeed. not
overpleased to see US.
told him that Captain Robert
son had been killed In q tight In
which we had rescued his daughter
from the cannibals who had carried
her OF, information which ! eau
toned MN to keep to himself and
nothing else that could help.
Also. I warned the Zulus. through
Umslopogaas and Goroko. that no
mention was to be made of our
adventures either then or after
ward. since IL this were d ne tina
curse of the White Queen would
fall on them and bring them to
disaster and death.
Inez went to bed that night
without seeming 10 recognize her
old home, to all appearance Just
a mindless child. as she hcd been
ever since she awoke from her
trance at Kor. Next morning, low
ever. Hans came to tell me Q a.
she was changed and tina. she
wished to speak with re. ] went,
wondering, and found her In the
sitting room. dressed In European
clothes. which she had. tare1 from
where she kept them. and once
more a reasoning woman.
"Mr. Quatermain," she said, II
suppose that | must have been III.
for the last thing ! remember Ii
going to sleep on the night after
you started for the hippopotamus
hunt. Where Is my father? Did
any harm come to him while he
was hunting?"
"Alas!" / answered, lying boldly.
for l feared lest the truth should
take away her mind again, at did.
He was trampled upon by a hippo
potamus bull which charged him,
and killed, and We were Obliged to
bury him where he died"
She bowed her head tor q wniie
and muttered some prayer for his
soul, then looked at me keenly and
said:
81 do not think you are telling
me everything. Mr.. Qoatermain, but
something seems to say to me that
this is because II is not well that
/ should learn everything"
mo-" answered. you have been
ill and out of your mind for quite
allong while: something gave you
q shock. think that you learned
OF your fathers death, which you
have now forgotten, and were over
come with the news. Please trust
to me and believe that II / keep
anything back from you It is be-
cause l think 1t best to do 30 for
the present"
81 trust and I believe" she an
swered. "Now please leave me.
but tell me first where are those
women and their children"
after your father died they went
away" I replied, lying again.
She looked at me again. but made
no comment. Then left her.
How much Inez ever learned OF
the true story of her adventures l
do not know to this hour, though
my opinion Is that It was but little.
She was aware that she had suf-
fered from a At Of alteration or
madness and that during thiStime
her father had died and certain
peculiar things had happened.
There she was content to leave the
business, and she never again
spoke to me upon the subject.
OF this was very glad, as how
on earth could have explained to
her about Ayesha's prophecies as to
her lapse into childishness and sub
sequent return to a normal state
when she reached her home, seeing
hat I did not understand them
myself?
Here I may as we'll finish the
story Of Inez, that is, as far as I
can. AS ] have shown. she was al
ways a woman Of a melancholy and
religious temperament, qualities
that seemed to grow upon her after
her return to health.
On our return to civilization az
it CHANGED one of the first persons
with whom she came in contact was
a very earnest and excellent old
priest OF her own faith. The end of
this intimacy was much what
might have been expected, namely,
that she determined to renounce
the world, which I think never had
any great attraction for her. and
entered sisterhood Of an extreme
ly strict order in Natal, where her
considerable possessions, added to
her many merits, made her very
welcome indeed.
Once in after-years / saw her
again. when she expected before
long to become the Mother-Superior
Of her convent. ] found her very
cheerful and she told me that her
happiness was complete. Even then
4 ~ IL On