The story begins with a newspaper article that tells about a murder
mystery . Mary Turner, wife of Richard Turner a South African farmer, was found
dead at her house . The reporter tells about a houseboy who admitted killing
Mary Turner. The farm families that live near, by did not like the Turners.
They never attended any social events and lived in a little box house with a
metal roof. They were very unclean and unpleasant. Most natives, who were much
poorer than the whites, had houses that were more livable.
The special reporter who wrote this article is an English man called
Charlie Slatter. He knew more about the Turners than anyone else. The author
describes Mary's sad childhood and her life before she married Dick Turner. She
was very poor and her father drank a lot. When Mary was sent to school, her
life changed. She was extremely happy at school and she did not look forward to
going home for the holidays. At sixteen, she left school and she took a job as
a secretary in an office in town. By thirty, nothing had changed. One day,
after she heard her friends talking about her behind her back, she decide to
change her life style. She met Dick Turner. Dick only came to town, when he had
to buy some goods for the farm. After two weeks, he asked her to marry him and
she accepted. However, the did not marry for love. Mary was very unhappy with
Dick, because he was poor. She was ashamed of her house. She was cruel to all
the houseboys and they all left after a short time. Mary was also very
antisocial: she never wanted to be with Dick's friends. She had lost all
respect for Dick as a husband, as a farmer, as a man.
Dick had many projects to make money such as keeping bees, buying pigs,
t but all of his attempts failed. He also opened a shop, but Mary was so unfriendly
and rude with the native women that no one came again and they continue to lose
money. Dick becomes ill with malaria and Mary runs the farm.urkeys
etc.. but all of his attempts failed. He also opened a shop, but Mary was so
unfriendly and rude with the native women that no one came again and they
continue to lose money. Dick becomes ill with malaria and Mary runs the farm.
She is cruel with the natives and uses a whip on Moses, one of the best farm
boys. Mary convinces Dick to grow tobacco, but unfortunately because there is
no rain the ts die. Mary becomes very depressed and goes mad. No one wants
to work with Mary, so Dick sends Moses. Mary and Moses have a strange
relationship. Moses realized that there is something wrong in Mary. He takes care
of her. Tony (an assistant of the farm) and the reporter Charlie can see that
Moses has the upper hand. However, Mary is rude to Moses when Tony is there.
Moses feels offended. In the meantime, Charlie convinces Dick to sell his farm
to him and to leave for a long holiday with Mary. Charlie always wanted Dick's
farm, because the soil is rich and Dick treated his land with respect. The day
before leaving, Mary is killed by Moses because she was a wicked woman. The
following day, Moses is taken away by the police.
