The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-05-01

Gind 10 hSnn
But Effie was only twelve.
AS the child stood in the broad light,
her tumbled hay -hued hair kissed and
illumined by the bold rays of the sun,
and her round. trustful blue eyes shaded
from the glare by two little brown hands,
watching King Billy at his work, flock
of laughing iackasses alighted in a neigh
boring gum-tree and set up demoniac
exclamation. What made the ill -omened
birds so madly merry2 What was the
joke3 Effie's trust9 Billy's gratitudef
They failed to explain; but their amuse.
ment was huge and sardonic.
''Drive them away, Billy" cried Effie,
and the obcdient king dropped his axe
and threw a faggot of wood at the tree,'
which stopped the laughter and dispersed
the merry makers.
BILLY tired now," said the black,
grinping-''too much work-plenty
wood" and he pointed to the result Of
eyes, that will be enough, thank you.
You're good boy. I'll give you some
tobacco"
"Billy's thirsty"
"Then you shall have some tea."
"No tea. Rum"
"No, Billy. Rum isn't good for you. ,
"Good for miners; good for Billy"
"No, it's not good for miners" said
Fife, emphatically; sit makes them
fight and say wicked things"
Makes black feller feel good" de.
clared Billy, rolling bis dusky eyes.
This last argument was effective.
Effie went into her hut-her father had
returned to his work-and poured q
little spirits from John Archer's flask in
to "pannikin. Billy drank the spir.
its with rolling eyes, smacked his lips,
and then lay down in the shadow of the
hut to sleep.
The long afternoon passed very slowly
for Effie. Her few trifing duties q.
housekeeper were soon done. The little
hut was tidied. and the simple evening
meal prepared and some hours Must pass
before her father returned. How could
she pass the time2 She had only two
books-a Bible and a volume of stories
for little girls, which she had won as 9
prlze a. school in Brisbane. But she was
too young so appreciate the first, espec.
lally as the type, being very small, it wa
difficult reading, and she had grown be
yond approaching the stories for littl
girls. having known them by heart thre
years before. She would like to hav
slept. Everything around her suggested
and invited the siesta-the steady heat
the brightness of the light without th
hut; the distant murnur of miners
voices which came from beyond yonde
belt OF waffle gums; the monotonou
hum of the locusts in the forest; the oc
casional fretful cry of strange bird, ant
the regular snores of the fallen king VIII,
slumbered in the hut. Even the buzz O
the annoying flies assisted the genera
'nset ana brddSns drows4 no. .,- -
10 remain still for a few nain',et. :,
% %Mouid have meant inevitably faji;na
asleep. Effie felt this, and remcmheraS
the little gold nugget. II she s,en.
some thief might come and take Il Az
80 she put on her hat, and, forsakino ths ;
seductive cool and shade of the hnt Ssn. snt
cut into the brightness and heat WOW
Areners hut stood on the edoe ~ ~ =
valley, over against the foot of The b,na
heavily timbered hills. About fiftv varJ,
distant from 1t, hidden among the tresa
was high oss-grown rock, at the basn
OF which Efie had discovered the small
es' ana sweetest Of natural sprjpos