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YOUNG JACK IIARKAWAY
" We want two rooms and a private sitting room," he said. “Miss
Bodwiii is a cousin of mine.’
“ Yes, sir,” replied the clerk.
" You can send up supper and wine."
“ In Iiali an tiour.”
" We are engaged to he married."
“ I congratulate you and hope you Will be happy," replied the
clerk.
“ Don't make so sure oi that, though I thank
" Why not?"
“ She is aiittle wrong in her head; hears voices;
fancies things."
“ Is that so?"
“ I assure you it in a iact. I have to look aiter her very closely."
" That is bad."
" You can't believe a word she says; she ranibles and tells strange
stories."
“ I should not marry a girl oi that sort."
“ But I have known her from a. child, and am very ioiid oi her."
“ That iiiakes a ditlereiice; still you must reiiieinber that you are
taking cliances."
" Well," said Ilunston, shruvgiiig his shoulders, “ if she does not
u
you ior the wish."
has hallucinations;
get better I shall have to send her L0 the insane asyluni.
“ It is all you can do," replied the clerk.
“ I ieel sorry, but what can a man do?"
“ Is she violent?"
" Liable to be so at times.”
" Then I should quit; it will grow upon her; however, you are the
best judge of your own atlairs. It is not ior me to advise or dictate to
U ..
0 .
The clerk gave Hunstoii the keys with the iiiiiiibers oi the rooms.
A servant showed hiiii the way to the private apartnient, and
brought with him a bottle oi charnpagne.
Ilnnstou tlieu sent (or Clara.
The wine was poured out, and he otlered her a glass.
She drank it.
“ Where is Jack?" Clara intpiired, eagerly.
" You will be disappointed win-,ii I tell you," Uunston replied;
has been taken back to Joliaiii=hei'g ”
Clara clasped her lianils.
“ Uh, why did you liring iiio
“ Iinciiiiso I love you‘."
Clara’: face llttshed aiigrily.
“ Ilow dare you talk to me in that way, sir," she diimaiidod.
“ My dear ,girl,‘’ said Iiunston, caliiily, “it will do you no good to
go into liysierit:s."
“ You are a false liruto, and no goiitlt-iiiaii."
" I do iiol. claiiii to be one; in these (l(.‘iIIO()l'IlllC days all men are
equal."
“ A geiitleiuan proves IIIIIl:'!K‘lI one by his actions. You area low
cad."
lie drew hiinseli up to his full height.
’l'lioii-,:h gvttittg old he was a. man of high stature
pr:-seiice.
There was ii. scorniiil sniile upon his thin lips.
“ I am Iidwur.l Iluii:-'Ion," ho P, '
" Jack lIarkaway's ioe‘.‘" asked (Ilara.
“ Tito sanie."
" You told me your name was Johnson. Oh‘. how cruelly I have been
deceived."
“ You must corisoiit to marry me."
“ Never. I will ring the bell and appeal ior protection from the peo‘
ple oi tho house."
“ That will avail you iiothiiig,"
“ 'l‘Iiey are civilized and Clll‘ISll:1ilS anyhow."
“ I liave told them,” said llunston, “ that you are iny cousin, that
we are oiigzigod to he married, and that you are a. little IJII. dopy."
“ ICU lain that to rue.”
“ I Int of your mind."
“ Villaiii and liar!
“ Don't be violent; ii you are, you iiill
asylum."
“ How can you do it?" asked i‘lai'a.
“ I can do miytliiiigz in this town, for I am ti respected and Lighly
esteemed ir:end oi the Boers.”
“ Wretch and traitoi“.”
"Never mind that," replied iluusion. " I have givoii what is sup-
pnsed to be your character to the hotel clerk dowii-stairs, and ii you
get into your taiitrunis they will soon dispose of you."
“ In what way?"
">'.-nd for an ambulance and cart you oil to the home ior lunatics,
iriiero no one will ever tind yon."
Vlnrii looki-d at him with ‘.1llSlPIlIIl11 eyes.
ll-tr hot (Iiihaii blood was tioiliiig in hi-r veins.
" You are not ri man, you ziro a iioiiii!" she cried.
" ’1‘h:ink you for tho coiiiplimeiit," said Iliinstoii.
roiid."
Ile tossed oil another largo Lzliisu oi wine which lliislieil his pale iaco.
“ Leave in)‘ prosoiim-!" said Clara.
“ Not uiiiil we coiiw to an iiiiderstaiidiiin."
" What do you waiit'."' L’
“ Will you bo my wife?"
“ You have already had my answer, which
will not!"
“ he
tit-re?” she cried.
and coiiiinnniliiig
I will soon show you if that is so "
be taken to the insane
“I ioel quite
is a decided II(‘f.;I1li‘v‘07I
AND THE BOE
RS OF THE 'l'RA.VSVAAL. 0
This was said eiiipliatieally.
“Give me a kiss, ariyway," said ilunston with an amorous glance.
“ Insolence! 'l‘hi': is too iiiuch!”
Iliinstoii drank aiiotlier glass of wine, which made him more or less
iiitoxicated.
lie iidviiiiced t0Wt).l‘tl'ai her like a iiatyr.
Clara, like a irighteiied wood iiyinpli, shrank back.
She was entirely terriiied.
llunston eiideavorod to clasp her in his arms.
I)rivt-n to tlesimrziiioii, the girl drew a stiletto irorii her ho.=orn and
plunged it into his body.
He it-II back agiiiiist the wall of the room and sank to the ground.
“ Curse you!" he gasped.
“ You brought it (in yourself," Clara replied.
know how to respect it ivoinan?”
" I didii’t think you were arined."
“ No, coward! or you would not hme insulted me!
your iinsc-i'tsl"
“ Agtiiii, curse you'."
“Your cur es will do ine no harm.”
The blood was welhng up from a. wound in his side.
" Help me," lio said.
it wiiy Elioulil I!"
“ Bind this wound up; staiich the heniorrhagv, or I sliallihleed to
death!"
Clara was a good f<aina.ritaii.
She tcre oil a portion of her skirt and tied it l.lgI1ll)'i'lrllll<l the
" Why don't you
You have got
I wound.
“ Thaiiks!"
servaiit?"
“ I think I have done enough,“ replied Clara.
shall do no inore-."
" Ii'or God's sake!"
" No, sir!"
“ I waiii a doctor. My wound inay he dangnroiii."
“ It I were to ring for the doctor you would either send me to prison
or an asytiiiii. Gooil-Ii)e‘."
“ llr)ii't li-ave inc-i"
" Will I iioti" said ('hira.
Hie hastily loii the room, lI<‘S(‘<‘llilt‘Il the stairs, and got out oi
tho hoii-l iiithont twiiig; [i1'I”('(’]i‘<‘<l by any one.
tinking low was to tho iai. g statioii, she was lucky eiioiigti to
i‘111i;:iir:iiujii.4i Slilfililu iiir .Ii>li:iiiisliei'".
'I'akinu ii llclihl slio lI<)‘.lI‘<Ii'il it.
How she thaiiltod lloavrii tor her i:ari'oiv osciipo from tho WIIOS
oi the Yllltlitt lliinsion.
For l‘l'lllSlIlL( to comply with his -hiiiiaiids elm iiiigtit
iniiiiiirod for ill“. aiiioii: the ii.sano.
It was oi‘:-iiiiig wht-ii ‘she l‘t"dl‘,ili‘4I .IUlItiIll‘Ii(‘l",f,
With a palpiiziiiiig Iii‘ she walked to i .o hotel, which was not i.ir
oil.
To [INT 1lItt:l"v'illRlii. and lIClI;1'lll she saw .lach, II.’ll'ljt. )im- :iiid Moi.-
day stiiiiiiiiiq in the liiilliiit).
" Uh, Jack!" slio cried :is she it-1‘.
wliirli “('l‘0‘ willliiui ' i‘X'lf‘lltI(‘,Il.
H My iliirling ;‘-iii!" said Jack. “ Wli.oi‘n have you iN‘(‘!l, we liiiw
huon iritzliti-iioti to dwiih alitiii’ you."
" Iliinstoii (‘,:llII(‘ livro. I did not hiltiw liiiii iroin Adaiii. he sent izp
his Ilitilli‘ as .lohii.<iiii," ri-pli.-d-i‘i:ir:i.
“ Wiiai was his pIii‘po>'<-'."'
“ lln told iiw Iii‘ want:-d to take IIIL‘
it was your :<p<-ci:il l'Hillt-tit."
“ What a Colossal liar ho iniist liv."
“ All that and inure; l.opin;: to see you, my
him to i’roioi'ia."
“ What litippeiiod?"
“ We arrived at a hotel.
claretl iliat he lovod rue."
" llid any one ever hear oi sucli iinpiidniice.
“ lie pimreodoti to Hate that . I i:id not marry him he would put
iiie in a liinaiii: asylniii.“
said Iiuiiston, in a humble iiiaiiiicr. “ Wiil you ciitl a
" Ai ai.y rate. I
l..’lYt‘ hm-ii
iioiirlyiiiiiiliiig into in: iii'ii:=.
to l’i‘otoria. You were ‘.iit-rv.
dear Jzick, I wont W111:
While sitiiiig in the lady's parlor, lie xiv-
"Was thorn oror Ell(‘ll an IliC(ii‘FIL'llili‘ rasczil." cried Jack.
“I .N'I)(HIlIj mm to go: hoid oi him." . larry.
“ How diil you go away Irom hiin?" zisiwil Mole.
"Wait till I tell you. I am coining to that."
" We are li.-Ht-iiiiig "
“ Iliinston iitii-iiipiod to kiss me. I KlIlY!l)F ('.iIl')' It <i.i::or con-
cealt-d in my bosoiii; ho prosswl nio iigxiiiist the nail oi the room.’
“That was more than you ('(IllltI .s=iaiitI."
“ Why, coiiainly." said Clarii. " A v:i‘tiiotis ivoinan has rights that
ought to he rospi-amt."
“ What did you do?"
“ I drew tho dagger iroiii its resting place and etriliheil him in the
side. Iivit-ll."
“ And you loii him!"
“ xatdlyl"
" You are my own bravo litilo girl!
“ I want to be all the Iiiiio-."
“ Do you think he will ilio?"
“ I cannot tell," ropliod Ulzira.
5Cl‘l1‘lH'IIi hut it may not he Irillml.
Hod htoss yniil"
" That lb‘1l(1ll(‘EliIlVl1.
Tim snake is
up,"
" Ito may recover. ior I was charitable enough to bind his wound