Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-11
CHAPTER VII.


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 CHAPTER VII.
 AwooL KING. Mark Frettlby was one of those fortunate individuals who turned everything he touched into gold. His luck was proverbial throughout Australia If there was any speculation for which Mark Frettlby went In, other men would be sure to follow, and in every case the result turned out as we'll, and In many cases even better than they ex- pected He had come out in the early days of the colony with comparatively little money, but his great perseverance and never failing luck had soon changed his hundreds into thousands, and now at the age of 55 he did not himself know the extent of his in- come He had large stations scattered all over the colony of Victoria, which brought him in splendid income; a charming country house, where at certain seasons of the year he dispensed hospitality to his friends, like the lord of an English manor, and magnif- cent town house down in St. Kilda, which would not have been unworthy of Park lane
 Nor were his domestic relations less happy He had a charming wife, who was one of the pest known and most popular ladies of Mel bourne, and an equally charming daughter, who, being both pretty and an heiress, natur-
 
 Frettlby was capricious, and refused innu- nerable offers. Being an extremely inde- pendent young person, with 8 mind of her own, as she had not yet seen any one she could love, she decided to remain single, and with her mother continued to dispense the hospitality of the mansion at St. Kilda. But the fairy prince comes to every woman, even if she has to wait hundred years like the Sleeping Beauty, and in this case he arrived 1t the appointed time. Ahl what delight tul prince he was, tall, handsome and fair haired, who came from Ireland, and answered to the name of Brian Fitzgerald. He had left behind him in the old country a ruined castle and few acres of barren land, in- aabited by discontented tenants who refused 70 pay the rent, and talked darkly about the Land league and other disagreeable things. Under these circumstances, with no rent coming in, and no prospect of doing anything in the future, Brian had left the castle of his sorefathers to the rats and the family ban shee, and came out to Australia to make his fortune. He brought letters of introduction to Mark Frettlby, and that gentleman, hay ing taken fancy to him, assisted him by every means in his power Under Frettlby's | advice Brian bought station, and, to his astonishment, in few years found himself growing rich, The Ftzgeralds had always been more famous for spending than for Iaving, and it was an agreeable surprise to sheir latest representative to find the money rolling in instead of out He began to in iulge in castles in the air concerning that other castle in Ireland, with the barren acres and discontented tenants. In his minds eye he saw the old place rise up in all its pristine plendor out of its ruins; he saw the barren acres we'll cultivated, and the tenants happy and content-he was rather doubtful on | this latter point, but, with the rash con 6dence of eight-and-twenty, determined to do l his best to perform even the impossible, Having built and furnished his castle in the air, Brian naturally thought of giving it a mistress, and this time actual appearance took the place of vision. He fell in love with Madge Frettlby, and having decided in his own mind that she and none other was fitted to grace the visionary halls of his renovated castle, he watched his opportunity and de- clared himself. She, woman like, coquetted with him for some time, but at last, unable to withstand the impetuosity of her Irish l lover, confessed in low voice, with pretty smile on her face, that she could not live without him, Whereupon-well-lover be- ing of conservative turn of mind, and ac- I customed to observe the traditional forms of wooing, the result can easily be guessed. Brian hunted all over the jewellers shops in Melbourne with love like assiduity, and hay ing obtained a ring wherein were set some turquois stones as blue as his own eyes, he placed it on her slender finger, and at last felt that his engagement was an accomplished fact. This being satisfactorily arranged, he next proceeded to interview the father, and had just screwed his courage up to the awful ordeal, when something occurred which postponed the interview indefinitely. Mrs Frettlby was out driving, when the horses took fright and bolted. The coachman and groom both escaped unhurt, but Mrs. Frettlby was thrown out and killed instantaneously This was the first really great trouble which had fallen on Mark Frettlby, and he seemed to be stunned by it. Shutting himself up in his room he refused to sex any one, even his daughter, and appeared al the funeral with white and haggard face which shocked every one. When everything was over, and the body of the late Mrs Il Frettlby was consigned to the earth with al the pomp and ceremony which money could : give, the bereaved husband rode home ant resumed his old life. But he was never ths same again. His face, which had alway! been so genial and bright, became stern ant :. sad. He seldom smiled, and when he did i was a faint, wintry smile, which seemed [. mechanical His whole heart seemed cen tered in his daughter. She became the sol' mistress of the St. Kilda mansion, and hel , father idolized her. She seemed to be thu 1 one thing left to him which gave him an in THE LARGEST AND FINEST STOCK OF