Page:The trail of the golden horn.djvu/286

282 When the natives had gone, the missionary showed signs of great weariness, so the doctor advised him to lie down and rest.

“You must be strong for the service to-night,” he informed him. “You are weak yet, remember, and you must be in a fit condition to speak to your flock.”

“You are quite right,” the old man agreed, as he allowed himself to be led to his little room. “I must speak to them, for there are many things I have to say. This has been a wonderful day, and the Lord is bringing marvellous things to pass. I have lived to see my flock return. Oh, if my dear wife were only here to be a sharer of my joy!”

During the remainder of the afternoon the house was kept very quiet so as not to disturb the missionary. Hugo and the doctor both had a sleep, which they needed. Marion and Zell sat by the window watching what was taking place outside until darkness shrouded the land. They then lighted several candles, and Zell poured out to the nurse the thoughts which were uppermost in her mind, and so near her heart.

“The Gikhi will need someone to look after him, Miss, and I am going to stay with him. Tim, I know, will come, too, and the Gikhi will marry us and we can live right here. I want to make up for the wrong I did, and show the Gikhi that I am a good girl.”

“That is a splendid plan, Zell,” Marion replied. “But I thought that you were planning to go outside. You always wanted to go, didn’t you?”

“I want to do that more than anything in the world except to marry Tim,” was the candid confession. “But it is my duty to stay here and look after the Gikhi. I long to see the wonderful things which Tim has told me about in the big cities outside. But while