A STORY OF THE
LOST
* + / * * * * BOER CAMPAIGN
ON THE , . , . / # JNJNATALriXA :
>
VELDT By H. D. Mackenzie
CHAPTER VIll. ( Continued. )
But they were hardly prepared for
the sight that met Iholroyon. In Iho
shelter of the kopje , her face turned
towards it , lay a young girl , her print
sown torn and stained , her face like
that of the dead , her eyes closed , her
hair falling In tangled inuHsun about
'her ' face. She was frightfully pale , and
at first they thought she was dead.
"Feel her heart , Preston. " said
Greene , In a whisper. "What an ema
ciated creature ! Is she dead ? "
" ' " sild the other.
"I don't think BO , :
"Quick ! give inn Home water. Greene ! "
The other obeyed , and Proaloit put
some to the white. Htlff HpH. The
liquid seemed to bring back a fcoblu
flicker of life. Her oyelldH half closed ,
then shut again.
"Quick ! got her on my horse ! Wo
must lake her with UH , " mild young
Preston quickly. "We cannot leave
her here to die , oven If she dies In our
bands. Help mi- , old fellow ! "
The girl was a more featherweight.
Greene uttered an exclamation OK he
lifted her. They carried her to Pres
ton's horse , and managed to hoist her
up In front of the saddle , Greene hold-
lug her while Preston mounted.
"It's all right , " said the latter."I
think I can manage. Get Into your
own saddle and lot us ride us quickly
as we can and 'rejoin the mon ,
Greene. "
"I hope flhe won't die In our hands , "
said Greene , us he tumbled Into his
saddle.
The two speculated an to the ex
traordinary occurrence as they rode
onwards. They were young , and had
perhaps a touch of romance In their
prosaic English hearts , and the lin
gering traces ot beauty in the BOOIII-
ingly dead face had touched thorn
more than they would have confesHod.
"What's to be done with her when
we get to camp ? We have no place
lit for a wounded girl , though our
quarters may do for wounded men , "
oald' Greene.
"Perhaps we can got her Hcnt to
I.adysinlth. She could be looked after
there , " the other answered , reflective
ly.
As they were nearlng the camp ,
suddenly out of the darkness It was
coming down rapidly two horses
whirled toward them , a white man and
u native. .
"Halt ! Who goes there ? " said Pres
ton , as the former galloped right In
front of him. Then ho added , with an
exclamation : "Rothcs , old chap , Is it
you ? What on earth arc you doing
hero ? And you look 1111 Are you
III ? "
The other horseman's face wan
ghastly , and for n moment ho seemed
to stay in the saddle ; but , recovering
himself with n great cffoit , he pointed
to the figure Preston was supporting
with his one arm.
"What have you there ? " ho asked ,
hoarsely. "I have been for RX days
scouring the veldt between thin and
Harrlsmlth , Booking for sonic one who
baa boon lost upon it ; and now I fear
you have found something. For pity's
Hake let mo BCO her face. Lieutenant
Preston ! "
Without a word the young man dis
mounted , still holding the inanimate
figure securely ; then , lifting her down ,
ho laid her gently on the dry sand.
Adalr Rothes , who had sprung from
his saddle , bent over her. A sound
that was almost like a wild cry came
from his lips ; but no one heard It but
Arthur Preston.
"It Is she ! " ho Bald in a moment , in
a choked voice. "Thank God she Is
Btlll living ! You will give her Into my
charge , Lieutenant Preston ? "
CHAPTER IX.
There was a farmhouse not far from
Newcastle , whose owner , a kindly
Scotsman. Adalr Rallies had known
slnco ho came out to Natal.
It was thither he carried Bluebell ,
not knowing whether she would live
or die. The farmer , Mr. Dalzlo ) , learn
ing the facts of the case he had al
ready heard ot the tragedy of New
Kelso Insisted on sending his "spi
der" at once for Miss Elizabeth , not
withstanding the unsettled stale of the
country.
Bluebell was laid In a pretty white
bed in the little bedroom , which
opened , like many South African bed
rooms , out Into the garden ; and there
she lay for many hours like one dead ,
with hardly a pulse to respond to
Rallies' touch. The tide of bur life
'was very low ; It could not bo much
lower.
When at last It began to HBO again ,
to his alarm it was with a wildly dis
ordered pulso. She was in a high fe
ver , and raved deliriously and without
cessation.
How much the man watching her
with agonized eyes and rucked heart
was to learn of all the poor child hud
como through !
"Water , water ! " she would moan.
"Not a drop ! 0 God , let me die soon !
Don't let me endure this maddening
thirst longer ! Hark ! lhat was u lion's
roar ! Oh , I hope It was ! Beller to
die nt once ! And Ihey any one doesn't
feel pain. It IB like a mouse In a cat's
cla-waj Oh , anything anything holler
than this awful burning thlrsl ! My
throat , It's like n red-hot coal ! " Then
Bhe would Imagine herself in Moore's
'
power.
TT ,
"No , no' I shall dlo before I marry
you die a IhoiiHand time * rather ! 0
God. la there no help for mo ? Help
me , merciful , kind God ! " Then her
voice Munk to a whisper. "If Adnlr
were here ah , he would help me ! Ho
la good and bravo. But ho will never
know now that I loved him. " The
volco trembled a llttlo , and then al
ienee blessed silence came.
And Adalr Rollioa , with trembling
hands , and eye.s full of passionate ,
longing IcnitorncBU , bent over Iho un-
coiiBclotiH girl wllh an agonized
prayer.
"Merciful God , spare her to me , if It
lie Thy will ! My darling my own
darling ! And HMO cried to me In her
extremity , and I did not know ot It !
Uluoboll. Uluoboll ! "
Misa Elizabeth arrived In the aplder
twenty-four hours after , and could
only wring Hollies' hand lu silence ,
her thin , sallow , unlovely fure work
ing convulsively.
"God will spare her , Miss Eliza
beth. " Rothca aaid huskily. "We both
owe a debt we ean never repay lo the
young fellow who found her , for you
know It was not I who did so. Wo
might novcr' have seen her again but
for Llculennnl.Pro.ston. "
Rothcs know hla duty lay In Lady-
Hinlth , yet ho could nol tear himself
from Blucbell'a side uulll he know
wholher It was to bo llfu or death.
Mercifully , the delirium did not lust
long , and on the third day , after u
long Bleep , she opened her eyes , thai
had full reason In them , upon her
aunt.
"Atinlle , whom am I ? she asked
feebly. Oh , what a fearful dream 1
hiivo had ! "
"When MBS ! Elizabeth ran for Rothes
Iho alrong man felt himaclf trembling
like a child. Ilo returned with her
quickly , "but ho could not speak when
Bluebell's eyes roao to bin.
"I have had ouch a fearful dream ,
Dr. Rothes , " aho whlapered. her eyes
appealing with dumb pathos to his
trustful ones. "I am afraid It was a
reality , though. la my father dead ?
Did Mr. Moore earry me away ? And
was I dying In the veldt ? "
"It is all true" holding Iho poor
lilllo weak hand In his own strong one
"bul , God be Ihunked , you are safe
now safe and in good keeping. All
you have to do la to gel well. "
"Did you find me ? " she whispered.
And he fell the llttlo hand quiver.
He had determined not to .speak ,
bul the question upset all his determi
nations. Ho sank on his knees , holdIng -
Ing the little hand to bis lips.
"I was seeking for you six days ,
Bluebell ; bul after all It was a young
officer who found you and gave you
to my keeping. Oh , Bluebell , my heart
IB torn in two when I think of all you
have gone through and I unable lo
help you not knowing at first you
wanted help I , who would give my
lifo to save you pain ! My darling ! my
own darling ! "
A little wave of color spread over
her whltp face ; her throat fluttered.
* "You love me , then ? " she whis
pered.
"I have loved you ever since I flrat
met you at Marltzburg , Bluebell ; but
I never dared to hope. Bluebell , it
seems wrong to speak of it at this ter
rible time ; but you do care a llttlo ,
after all , about me ? do you ? "
The llttlo , wasted hand stroked his
cheek.
"I love you with all my heart. Adalr.
I know It that awful night when the
Boors" she paused , shuddering ,
"You'll take care of mo. and not let
that dreadful man como near me ? "
He folded the hand to his breast ,
and , bending , kissed again and again
the pale lltllo' face , chocks , and eyes
and lips.
Rothea went back to Ladysmlth nexl
day. The battle of Elandslaugto had
taken place , and the hospital In the
UUlo town was full.
Mr. and Mrs. Dalzlol were kindness
Itself , and insisted on the Leslies stay
ing as long as ever they felt inclined.
On the first day on which Bluebell
was able to gut up Adalr Rothes ap
peared. It was two days after the
battle of Ladysmith , of which word
had boon brought to the Dalziols.
Bluebell welcomed him with a blush
and a smile that made Rothes' heart
throb. Bul Iherc was something in his
face which made Bluobell's heart fret
with mingled fear and anxiety.
"You have some news ? What is It ?
Tell me quickly , Adalr ! " she breathed ,
lifting her face from its hiding place
"Yos , my darling , " Rothes answered
slowly ; "I have strange news for you.
I do not know how you will take It ,
Bluebell ; something very terrible hap
pened at the buttle on Monday. Someone
ono was killed there some one whom
you knew ! "
"It was Gerald Moore ! " suld Bluebell
quickly. She turned very pale , and
shivered a little.
"I wont up to him. when the Imttlo
was nearly over , hearing him groan
ing. 1 did not know who ho was till
I was besldo him. He wan moaning
for water , and I turned to get him
some. As I did so a wounded Boer
near called : 'Look out. doctor ! ' I
stepped aside , and as I did so u bul
let whizzed past me , striking my ear.
I turned and saw Moore on his elbow ,
a look of such unnatural hatred on his
face as I shall never forgot , his gun
still In his bund. As I turned ho ut-
lerod a atr.uigo aonnd , the gun droppmi
from bin baud and ho foil back ou
the gnis y knoll. When I reached him
he wia dond ! "
With a lltllo ery Bluebell folded nor
arms about hnr lover's nock.
"Oh. Adalr. thank God ! thank God.
' "
you were saved'
Kor a few mlnut" Rothos did not
sptMk. HlH strong mouth quivered a
llttla. Al last ho Bald :
"Now cornea the atrange news I have
for you. Bluebell. Papers were found
upon Guruld Moore , and the olllccr into
who * ; hands they fell th ) general ,
Hluebell aent for me. He knowj inn
personally , and know.s what you arc
to me. Those papers affect you , and
you only. "
"Adalr. what can you mean ? " ahe
uskod , In atartled surprise.
Adalr took her hand In hla , and held
It for a moment without speaking.
"A barrier has risen up between you
and mo. Bluebell a barrier such a < -I-
never dteamt of. I am a poor man
you are an hoirosH. "
She uttered an Incredulous exclama
tion.
"It is true , Bluebell. Now wo have
the real reason of Moore's dclcrmliiii-
tlon to marry you. Ho had seen an ad
vertisement in an English paper , gone
homo , learned everything , and came
hero with his mind firmly made up a.- *
to hl3 own course. As you know , your
fallior always declared he had been
done out of Tlnlaveratock. His cousin
has had It in his possession for fifteen
years. Maurice Leslie had three sons.
Your father never hoped lo come Into
the property ; but , by a strange fatal
ity , these sons have all died since.
Maurice Italic , on whoso mind It al
ways preyed that he hail cheated your
father out cf his inheritance , baa miidc
you his heiress. You not your fa
ther. "
"Oh , Adnlr ! " The girl clung to him.
her arms clasped round Ills neck. "I
do not wish to bo an heiress. I am
happier as I am. "
"It seems , " said Rothcs , "that your
father's cousin died a few months ago.
The lawyers sire now searching for
you. You must wrllo lo them , Blue
bell. And I have been thinking , dear ,
you and Mia * Elizabeth are safer out
of Hie country Just now. We must get
you to Durban , thence to Scolland. "
She tillered a lilllo cry , her face
dealhly white.
"Adalr ! You wish to gel rid of me ,
then ? Oh , and I thought I thought
you loved mo ! "
He clasped her cloae , covering the
sweet face with passionate kisses.
"My own darling ! But , Bluebell , do
you think I am so selfish as to wish
to keep'you here during this dark lime
thai la" coming upon us , when you
might bo living In luxury and safety
at homo ? "
"And you In danger , doing your duty
here ? " she half sobbed. "Adair , are
you to have all the unselfishness and I
none ? No , dear , I ahall not go. I
have made up my mind. "
They were married. The bride's fa
ther had been bul a month in his lone
ly grave , and they were themselves in
the midst of that dark tragedy which
had not then ended. But human love ,
next to divine , can lighten Ihe dark
est sorrows and the most terrible sur
roundings.
"You are not afraid , " he said , as ,
having bade farewell to the weeping
Miss Elizabeth , who had agreed to go
meantime to Marltzburg , he led hla
wife Into the pretty little house that
was beginning lo look desolale and
deserted In the forsaken town.
She raised her sweet face to his.
Her eyes were full of tears , but they
had a smile in their depths.
"I am sad at parting with poor
auntie , " she whispered. "But I am
glad , so glad , to be beside you , Adalr ,
and I am not afraid with you , dear.
Why should I be. We are together ,
and God is all over , and He can take
care of us In the future as He has In
Ihe past. "
( The end. )
A current monthly puts the blame of
men's faults on women. It says :
"Women make society ; they arc ac
countable largely for the faults of the
male portion of It , at least for the
growth and extent of fault. If men
fall abort It Is because women have
not demanded higher standards. And
It the woman who works Is not treated
with the same courtesy as she whose
delicately gloved hand holds her own
bank book , U Is the fault of thai same
dainty hand , which Is not held out In
kind comradeship to ono that wields
pencil or scissors. Men get their cue
from woman's trealment of women.
But men are rarely unkind ; theirs Is
rather the absence of kindness ; and of
the two , the latter wore preferable.
S < > \fri > Scaled Instruction * .
There la a certain lawyer who in hia
youthful days liked to play hookey
occasionally. Once being required to
bring a written excuse ho applied to a
classmate to help him out. So his
friend wrote : "Dear Mrs. G. : Please
give Sam a whipping , and oblige his
mother , " and sealed it. Sum handed
It In , perfectly satisfied ; bul Imagine
his consternation when the teacher
proceeded to carry out Instruction. All
Importunities were of no avail. Sam
caught a whipping and learned not to
play hookey again.
AVorkril Hurt ) fur U.
"You seem to have quite a sum in
your bank , Bobby , " remarked the visi
tor. "Yes , " said Bobby ; "mu. gives
mo 10 cenls a week for coming lo Hit
table with clean bunds and face. "
"Ten cents In a good deal ot money
for a llttlo boy to earn every week. "
"Yes , ma'am , bul I have lo do a large
amount of work for it. "
China * *
&jctraordinary Woman
of the Far East.
The empress of China is 'the one
oriental character that absorbs most
attention just now. Tze Ilsl is not a
real empress , but a usurper. Origi
nally she was not an empress at all ,
but was given that honorary rank as
the mother of Hlen Fung's only son ,
she being that emperor's concubine.
Hien Fung was succeeded by Tung
Che , and this ambitious woman found
her opportunity when Tung Che died ,
in 1875 , without an lielr. Tradition
demanded that the new pmperor be at
least un adopted son of some branch
of the royal family. The infant
Kwang Su , who Is now the Imprisoned
and deposed emperor ot China , was
chosen. But he was not of the right
generation to be adopted as the son
of the late Tung Che , so he was intro
duced into the succession by adoption
to Hlen Fung , and the present dow
ager empress became regent until lie
should come of age , in 188 ! ) . She is
the young emperor's aunt.
This arrangement left the dead em
peror , Tung Che , without an adopted
heir to perpetuate his line. To meet
this difficulty it was decreed that when
the child emperor should grow up his
llrst son should be adopted to Tung
Che. Herein the ambitious dowager
empress found her second opportunity
to seize the power , for the young em
peror , Kwang Su , has had no children.
Having tasted the sweets of power as
regent , she reluctantly resigned the
reins Into the emperor's hands when
he came of ago in 1889. though for a
long time she was still the real ruler.
"PRAIRIE SCHOONERS" FOR
KANSAS CITY.
The Democratic campaign managers
are planning a surprise for the east
ern delegates when they reach Kansas
City to attend the national conven
tion. They have had men out in Kan
sas and Nebraska , and even in Okla
homa , organizing among the farmers
and settleis parties to attend the con
vention in "prairie schooners. " Sev
eral hundred people are now "trek
king" across country trom their dis
tant farms and will camp out on the
outskirts of the city In genuine west
ern stylo.
Tlie convention managers are also
planning to use the "prairie schoon
ers" and their occupants as a feature
of the big parade which is to be one
of the events of convention week.
They will form one entire section of
the parade , and along the sides of each
of the canvas-coveied wagons will bo
stretched banners emblazoned with
Democratic slogans.
A particularly picturesque delega
tion is expected from the Ozark moun-
CAMPING OUT AT KANSAS CITY ,
tain country of Missouri and Arkan
sas , as many of the mountaineers are
on their way to Kansas City with ox
teams.
When Kwang Su began to exorcise his
own will and to ally himself wilh Iho
reform movement of Ihe young China
party , the dowager empress deter
mined to take the power into her own
hands again , and accordingly executed
the coup d'etat of 1S98. her excuse be-
init that Kwang Su had not fulfilled
his agreement to furnish an heir lor
the bereaved line of Tung Che.
In view of the summary style in
which the dowager empress at once
struck off the heads of the young em
peror's reform advisers , it has seemed
strange that she did not put Kwang
Su himself out of the \\ny. The writer
in the nineteenth century thinks this
would have been done but for the violent
lent protests thai came from all over
Ihe elghlcen provinces of China , from
Ihe oullying colonies , and even from
Ihe Chinese in California. These pro
testations of loyalty to the young
emperor are believed to have staid the
hand of the usurping aunt , for some
daring Chinamen were not slow to re
mind her that she was but a concu-
blne-rellct of a former emperor , and
to call for the restoration of the right
ful sovereign. These persons she pur
sued with relentless hatred , compell
ing the suicide of one , killing some ,
driving others Into foreign countries ,
and offering a reward of ? 7o,000 for
the heads of Kang Yu Wei and Liang
Chi Chao , the most outspoken of the
reformers.
Out of this state of affairs the pres
ent Boxer riots have grown as a violent
lent expression ot the reactionary
Ideas of the dowager empress.
/Ibotc a
A quiet , unostentatious life under the
stars and stripes with a devoted Amer
ican wife proved so much more at-
MRS. OTTO VON SCHAEZLER.
tractive to Otto von Schadzler of Dav
enport , Iowa , that he was led to de
cline recently a title of nobility and
a moss-grown ancestral castle in Ger
many , which he inherited on the death
of his father. Four years ago Mabel
Canniff of Talcuta , 111. , met Otto von
Sclmezlcr. Their acquaintance ripened
into love and they were married. At
the time she did not know that he was
the eldest son of Baron vcci Schaezler ,
whpse country seat was at Castle Van-
bach , near Munich , in Germany.
Eventually a cablegram , which brought
news of the death of the old baron and
summoned Otto back to the father
land to assume the title and estates
gave her the llrst intimation of her
husband's titled ancestry. But Mrs
von Sehaezler did not want to give up
her residence lu the United States , and
her husband was well satisfied with hla
adopted country and Its institutions
So the two went to Germany and re
nounced their claims In favor of the
baron's younger brother. In return
for the tranference of his tllle , a large
sum of money mid an annuity were
settled upon Mr. von Schnuzler.
V-
®
As the World
Goes Round
"Prayer
The startling results of a brlot
prayer have excited the pcopl of
northern Pennsylvania , given A min
ister u worldwide ropntatlon' , brought
to him a congressional nomination and
led the projectors ot a brewery ot
Stroudsbttrg , Pa. , to discuss the afl-
vlsablllty of beginning legal proceed
ings against him for influencing prov
idence to destroy their property. Wb.cn.
a corporation composed of men ot
Stroudsburg , Scranton and Wilkos- f !
barre received a license to bulltl and
conduct a brewery In Stroudsburgs tha
REV. E. B. IMXON. '
whose prayer that lightning might
strike a brewery was heard. He baa
been nominated for congress.
; he temperailce people of that plnco
rose In their might against them. At
a public meeting under the auspices
of the W. C. T. U. , Rev. E. E. Dlxon In
a brief but fervent prayer uttered the
words , " 0 God , cast down the light
ning of thy wrath on the brewery ana
doom It. " The llrst thunder storm of
.he season came April 2. . The brew
ery was nearlng completion. Rev.
DIxon's prayer had been almost for
gotten. During the progress of the
storm the roof of the brewery was
shattered by lightning , and than the
people recalled the minister's prayer.
DUSE AND D'ANNUNZIO.
"I will kill D'Annunzio , " says Eleo-
nora Duse , the great Italian actress ,
and her countrymen applauded her re
solve.
In "II Fuoso" ( lire ) , a novel pub-
llshed three weeks ago , Gabriele D'An
nunzlo , the Italiain writer , drew a
graphic picture of Duse , whose roman-
; ic love for him was the talk of Eu
rope a few months ago. The materials
for the story were obtained from the.
actress herself , who , in her self-for
getful affection , told the young novel-
D'ANNUNZIO AND DUSE.
1st the full history of her pathetic life.
D'Annunzlo has pictured the heroine
of his book with brutal frankness , and
has laid bare the great artist's heart.
la. their way the "Confessions" of .T. J.
Rousseau are scarcely more complete.
D'Annunzio cynically avowed his mod
el In the beginning , but has been forced
by public opinion into a denial that
he intended to portray Dnse. The
heart-broken actress , however , will not
tolerate lies and apologies. She brave
ly admits herself the heroine of the
book. "HoJias stolen my love and sold
it. I will kill him , " she says.
"OJVCE
Cases continue to arise calling for
the specific application of the Amer
ican doctrine. One of these cases is
just reported. Maurice Tlehm. a nat
uralized citizen of Hamilton , Ohio , asks
the government to secure the release
of his son Albert , held In Alsace , where-
he went as a visitor , and where ho in
In danger of military conscription.
The noble spirit of fatherland love In
duces increasing thousands of adopted
Americans to visit every year the old
world. Their
rights as implied
In their American
citizenship differ
in no respect from
the rights ot na
tive citizens. Dem
ocratic statesmen
laid down the
doctrine on the
question and un-
.Mix. iiiSHM. der democratic
precedents frequently reaffirmed that
doctrine may not vo violated with Im
punity by any foreign government.
Americans may go safely whitherso
ever they list , provided always that
they respect the laws of the lands In
which they sojourn and observe the
laws of the United States relating to
citizenship.
Francis of Orleans , prince of Join-
vllle , son of the late Louis Phillip .
king of the French , Is dead of pneu-
utonla , aged 82 years.