The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-09-10


/ wss left an orphan st the age
four. bat was brought up BY q kir
aunt and uncle. Ny childhood pas
ed merrily enough. until ! was sbo'
q eight, when my uncle, hearing Of Il
Australian gold fields, determined
Geek fortune abroad, instead |
toiling for q mere pittance at b
native home.
f. So | was transferred to . family b
u the name Of Graham. They wer
g middle-clsss, plain, homely people
!" working goldsmiths, in fact, and Ii,
. ed in Northampton Square, Clerker
we'll.
They had but one child. a daughter
N named Lilly, who. being only thre
years younger than myself, We be
= came great friends 1t was naturs
8 also that as | grew up and went yer,
proudly out to earn my few shilling
a week, and drew resrer to manhood
| should learn to love my little play
fellow.
Circumstances went on thus hap
PLY until | was twenty and Lilly
seventeen years of age, and then 8
: communication from my uncle in
Australia informed me they had q
capital opening for me.
: / was 10th to leave Lilly vet, as /
was doing very indifferently, and had
heard OF such rapid fortunes acquired
in such short spaces of time by ener.
getic men, summoned enough cour-
age one day to tell the Grahams and
poor little Lilly | wss determined to
go to Australia.
/ shall never forget my parting at
Blackwell Pier / shall never forget
my pretty little Lilly clinging to my
neck, and sobbing aloud, and implor-
ing me not to go, and /, struggling
between the influence of love and en-
terprise, trying not to be coward,
when | felt already that | was sure
ly one.
1t was in vain | tried to cheer her.
l think l did MOI look so very COM
forting, though, If remember rightly,
| recollect saying:
"Neyer mind, Lilly darling, ! shall
return one day and make you a grand
lady. ! shall be sure TO succeed, and
shall return and make you happy"
My tears. | knew, were threaten
ing to break tie feeble barriers that
held them back, and when she said
"Ah! but suppose you never do
return-I shall break my heart, Rob-
ert ~
Why, then | do think l did shed q
tear or go, only to keep her company.
At last the boat pushed of, and
Mrs Graham-good, kind old SOUL
still kept ber arms around Lilly, as
she waved her final adieu to her or
phan protege
/ arrived at last at Melbourne. l
went miles overland, and at last
reached my unele's settlement; but
had not long been there ere | found
life In Australia less easy than l had
anticipated. i stayed with him for q
little time until took Q dislike to |
farming-for that was what my M |
Gle had made most Of his money At
and joined q party Of young fellows
starting for a new gold field farther
up the country.
Three years passed slowly away,
and / began to get along much bet
ter, and had cent many nugget TO
Melbourne. | had only received one
dear cherished letter from Lilly,
written on her eighteenth birthday,
aud sending me 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 / wrote often enough
Well, time went on. / had found
a staunch, true friend abou, my own
age, snd we were like brothers. We
always worked together, and when
we had been out four years aud
half, Tom Thompson-fcr that was
the name OF my youthful friend
and / were getting rich.
/ knew that | was nearer home, I
and more likely to gain my dear lit
tie Lilly every month worked; but
was also aware of the desperate
crimes and terrible deeds that were
being committed around US by ram
gers and other villains. / knew that
our reputation was as dangerous as
gratifying; and 30 it was; perhaps
should not mention the incident, as
it seems to prolong q part Of the
story that needs mos. brevity. but.
as is bears directly upsn the ultima
tum of the tale, / shall trespsss upon
your kindness to give il in foil.
One night Tom and had retired
to the bedroom we had built above
the basement of ou: little house. and
| was already doing. while Tom,
having carefully seen to the revol-
vers, (for / need not tell you how
necessary they are in . country
where justice is obtained in such
rough and ready manner, was alec
yielding to the drowsy god, when We
fancied we heard something move in
the room below.
Both were quickly, though silently.
on the alert, for We knew. that
though not much, We had still some
gold that had not been despatched 20
Melbourne. We knew that some
body, acquain.ed with its hiding
place. had. escaping our notice. se-
creted himself in our cabin to gain
possession Of it,
When We heard him move again,
and, as we correctly thought, he bad
gained our hidden nuggets, We
craw!ed silently to the hole that gave
entry to our little bedroom. and
looked down.
All was dark, yet We could see the
dim outline of man moving hither
and thither, as though be knew every
inch of the ground be trod. Now,
we knew be would be certain to car
~ arms and 90 We had to be ex-
ceedingly cautious
Tom coolly placed an old fur bat
on . stick be had beside him, and
hung it over the hole. shouting - be
did 50
aWho,s fbsre sn
We received no answer. but |