Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-07-11
AArs.Bo b
BY JOHN STRANGE WINTER,
Author OF "Booties' BGbB," Beautiful
Jim" Etc. Etc.


returned. 81 think with most young peo-
pie there is great longing for fresh fields
and pastures new, and it is only when you
have been a long time away from the
place where you were born and grew up
that you have q sentimental feeling about
It which makes you yearn to 90 back once
more"
yes you are right" he answered; land
IN my case, when my longing for sight
of Australia comes over me, shall make
longing do instead Of going"
"Ohl is it so bad as that?' Mrs. Trafford
cried
Worse than that" replied Mr.. How
ard, Instantly
But whyi What is there so bad
about the countrg'" she asked. What
can there be so different about England to
make you feel like that about III"
Mr. Howard grew grave. well, to tell
you the truth, Mrs Trafford, - he said. Il
never knew a really happy day in Aus
traiia until the day my father died. He
Ia dead, and they say we ought not 10
speak Ill OF the dead, but IN his case |
cannot help It, He was the most unut-
tersble brute | ever knew or heard of in
all my life. / never could see, | have
never been able to see, that he had SIN
gle redeeming quality-he was all bad
from first to last ] hated him, despised
him, loathed him. Perhaps it is wrong
OF me to tell you all this, but at least it
ia candid. Our mother was the sweetest,
best, kindest, gentest Of women-Maimie
and ! worshipped her He killed her"
"Killed your mother" cried Mrs. Traf-
ford, with the utmost horror depicted on
her face.
Stephen Howard gave "A short hard
laugh. "Ohl don't mean that he cut her
throat or broke her neck. He might have
been hanged for that even in the wlds Of
Australia No, he just stopped short OF
that. but more than once he had n near
shave, aud only held his towards hand
Just in time Aud at last, when I was
sixteen. my mother died-his victiIl-the
victim Of the greatest brute ever knew.
ought not to tell you all this, Mrs. Traf-
ford | dare say you will despise and dis
trust me for il, but-but-you are not un-
like my mother, and IL had to tell you
somehow"
81 understand know exactly" Mrs.
Traford murmnred, soothingly. why
should you not tell me, And | am deeply
interested"
The excitement died out Of the young
mans blue eyes, and he stretched out his
said "Mrs. Trafrord, do you know that
your daughter is so like my poor little
mother-like what remember her AS a
child. when was a little youngser Of ten
or twelve, you know"
"Ah. yesr' Mrs. Trafford murmured.
''Yesr" she repeated. Light began to
dawn upon what had hitherto been dark.
She wanted to know more.
al
worn out with the brutality she had borne
for more than twenty years. She wasn't
forty years old then, and often aud often
used to wonder how she had ever borne
# so long After that there were three
nearly four years of-of-" he broke off
short, AZ il the word he was going to use
for comparison was just on the tip of
his tongue aud lac had bitten ii off at the
very point of utternuCe of misery" he
went on such as | could not describe To
you II / would, aud would not if could.
And then, thank God, my father died and
/ began to live
And you were provided for2" Mrs.
Traiford asked. She had dropped her
knitting upon her lap aud sat looking like
one fascinated mt the handsome young
man with such a sad history in his past
ooh, yes, he left plenty of none, and
Mamie and shared it. equally Stephen
Howard answered, carclessly
There was moments slence-Mrs.
Trufford broke it. ~ nd thcu2" she said,
I'm tone which signifed that he was to
80 on.
Then / came over here aud went to OK
ford, >" lie continued cit had always he
a dream Of nv mothers she was an En-
gtfshwoman, you know"
"Oh, yesl-and your father"
'Was an Australian" said Stephen
Howard, shortly.
'Ah, sect she murmured. "And you
came to ONford2"
But | had only just entered when
something went wrong with my property
and had to so back. | was just one and
twenty then. And there | had TO stay for
more than Il year. After that | made
tour through the States then put I'm six
moro months in Queensland and after
wards came to Europe Then | went
back aud stayed five ycars-hve years,
hating all the time, aud At last with my
brother in-laws help got rid Of all my
property and put all my money into the
Bank OF EnEland-theu / felt safe, and
before week had turned my back on
Australia and, please God, | shall never
see It again"
"a am sure" said Mrs Tratrord. "that
hope You never will What dreadful
story-a dreadful story. But tell me-
have you never sought out your mothers
peopleW
"My mother. SO far as know, ~ Stephen
Howard answered, "had not a relation in
the world. She was a poor cergyman's
daughter and after his death went out to
Australia AS Eoverness at time when
women were scarce out there. She met
my father aud they were marrjrd | he.
leye it was considered great marriage
ut the time for her. poor soul, she paid dear
for it afterwards"
And your father3" asked Mrs, TraG
ford, who was breathlcss with the intensi
" OF her interest in his story.
'My fatherf" he repeated
"Yes-had he no relations' Forgive me
for asking You such question" she said
gently but you have told me 50 much
and You have interested me deeply"
"Oh. yes; why should you not ask it,
Well | can tell YOU nothing more about
my fathcr-Hot even il his real name was
rs he said, not where he was born or who
his father vast He may have been a CON
Wet for aurht know"
Mrs. TriTord looked at him for mo-
ment as he sat In an easy aud careless at
ttude, his blue eyes fixed on the fire
you douot look like a couvict's SON"
she said, with a smile-"and | think YOU
would have known il he had been that"
Yes, | dare say | should. No | don't
think he had been convict, though he
was bad enough to have been Il convict
htty times over. As for my looEs-wel,
it is n lucky circumstance for me that |
don't look like anything Of tina; kind
N4r,4 . L.. L..