The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-11-07
NEARLY TOO LATE.

elgnJ years OLD, when my uncle, hear
ing of the Australian gold fields, deter
mined to seek fortune abroad, instea,
of toiling for mere pittance at home
So l was transferred TO family b.
the name of Graham. They were mid
dle-class, plain, homely pcople--work
ing goldsmiths, in fact-and lived il
Northampton square, Clerkenwell.
They had but one child, a daughter
named Lilly, who being only thre,
years younger than myself, we becam,
great friends. 1t was natural, also, tha
as grew up and went proudly out {,
earn my few shillings week, and drew
nearer to manhood, l should learn (,
love my pretty little playfellow.
circumstances went on thus happil,
until l was twenty and Lilly II years o
age, and then a communication from
my uncle in Australia informed me tha
they hsd capital opening for me.
l was loath to leave Lilly; yet, as
was doing very indfferently and hac
heard of such rapid fortunes acquired il
such short spaces of time by energeti,
men, | summoned enough courage tc
tell the Grahams and poor Lilly that
was determined to go to Australia.
shall never forget my parting al
Blackwall pier. l shall never forget
my pretty little Lilly clinging to IN,
neck, and sobbing aloud, and inplorine
me not to go, and |, struggling between
the influence of love and enterprise,
trying not to be a coward, when / felt
already that was one.
1t was in vain tried to cheer her: |
think | did not look so very comforting,
though, if ! remember rightly, | reeol-
lect saying:
"Never mind, Lilly darling, shall
return one day and make you a grand
lady. shall be sure to succeed, and
shall return to make you happyp'
MY tears, knew, were threatening to
break the feeble barriers that held
them back. and when she said:
"Ahl but suppose you never do re-
turn Il shall break my heart, Robert ~
. Why, then think did she'd n tear or
so; only to keep her company.
AT last the boat pushed of, and Mrs.
Graham-good, kind old soull-still
kept her arms around Lilly, as she
waved her final adieu to her orphan
protege.
arrived at last at Melbourne. | went
miles overland, and at last reached nv
nncle's settlement; but had not long
been there ere | found life in Australia
less easy than | had anticipated. |
stayed with him for little time, until
| took a dislike to iarming-for that was
what my uncle had made most of his
money at-and joined party of young
fellows starting for new gold field far.
ther up the country.
Three years passed slowly away. and
| began to get along much better, and
bad sent many a nugget to Melbourne.
| had only received one dear cherished
letter from Lilly, written on her eigh.
teenth birthday, and sending Inc lock
of her pretty chestnut hair; yet
thought L had no cause to fear, as
knew that writing letters does not give
young ladies half the joy of receiving
them, and l wrote often enough.
Well, time went on. had found n
sIannch, true friend about my own age,
and we were like brothers. We always
worked together, and when we had
been out four years and half Tom
that was the name OF
my 1altn1ui 1riend-anu were getting
rich.
knew that l was nearer home, and
more likely to gain my dear little Lilly
every month worked; but | also was
was aware of the desperate crimes and
terrible deeds that were being commit
ted around us by the rangers and other
knew that our reputation
was as dangerous as gratifying; and so
1t was; perhaps / should not mention
the incident, as it seems to prolong a
part Of the story that needs most brev-
ity, but, as it bears directly upon the
ultimatum of the tale, l shall trespass
upon your Kindness to give it in full.
One night Tom and had retired to
the bedroom we had built above the
basement OF our little house, and / was
already doing, while Tom, having care
fully seen to the revolvers (for need
not tell you how necessary they are in
country where justice is obtained in
such rough and ready manner), was
also yielding to the drowsy god, when
we tancied we heard something move
in the room below.
Both were quickly, though silently
on the alert, for we knew that, though
not much, we still had some gold that
had not been dispatched to Melbourne
We knew that somebody, acquainted
with its hiding-place, had, escaping oul
notice, secreted himself in the cabin tc
gain possession of it.
When we heard him move again. and
as we correctly thought, he had gained
our hidden nuggets, we crawled silent
ly to the hole that gave entry to our lit
tie bedroom, and looked down.
All was dark, yet we could see The
dim outline OF a man moving hither and
thither, as though he knew every incl
of the ground he trod. Now, we knew
he would DO certain to carry arms an,
so we had to be exceedingly cautious
Tom coolly placed an old fur hat on
stick he had beside him, and hung i
over the hole, shouting as he did so:
"Who's thereY"
We received no answer, but though
we saw the figure move nearer TO TIN
cabin.
Answer" continued Tom, wavin,
the old fur hat, ''answer, or iii fire"
But Tom had no time TO do anythin:
of the kind, for the rascal fir0d directly
and /, looking through chink in tn
rough and divided flooring, saw an,
recognized the thief rs one to whom
Tom and had been the best of friends
1t was Simon Rail, man whose repnta
ton had been of late far from satisfac
tory. ..
Tom and were unhurt, and ere "
could get down, for we had noticed tn
villain had removed the ladder, Sino
Rail had escaped TO cover.
All the settlement was alarmed, an
search made, but he was not found M
ill afterward.
Well, three years moro of hard wor
found me rich man and Tom and
reached Melbourne, and sailed wit
hope, love, and Joy for England's happ
shores.
When reached home no one woul,
have known me with my beard and pc
culiar attire-half settler, half nautica
need not tell you how eagerly sougf
out No. Northampton square. 1t a
seemed the same. Seven years and
half had very little altered London, 6
far as l could see. Yes, 1t all SCENE
1 ha II n L