The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-10-18

That was s', ubu eb,iOh, h.
was called Old Roses. 1t was not other
wise inapt, for there was something
antique about him, though he wasn't
old flavor, an old-fashioned repose
and self-possession. He was inspector
of tanks from this Collaboration coun-
try.
Apart from his duties he kept most
ly to himself, though when not travel
ing he always went down to O'Fallen's
Hotel once a day for a cup of tea-tea
kept especially for him; and as he
drank this slowly he talked to Vic, the
barmaid, or to any chance visitors
whom he knew. He never drank with
any one, nor asked any one to drink,
and, strange to say, no one resented
this. As Vic said, she was different. -
Dicky Merritt, the solicitor, who was
hail-fellow with squatter, homestead
lessee, cocatoofarmer and shearer,
called him ga lively old buffer"
1t was he, indeed, who gave him the
name of Old Roses. Dickey sometimes
went over to Long Neck Billabong,
where Old Roses lived, for a reel, as
he put it, and he always carried away
o deep impression of the Inspector s
qualities. "Had his day." said Dickey
in O'Fallen's sitting-room one night,
Gin marble halls, or I'm a Jack. Run
neck and neck with almighty swells
once. Might live here for thousand
years and he'd still be the nonesuch Of
the back blocks. I'd patent him-file
my caveat for him tomorrow if l coulG
bully Old Roses 70
Victoria Bowling, the barmaid, lifted
her chin slightly from her hands, a.
she leaned through the opening be
tween the bar and the sitting-room
and said: ''Mr. Merritt, Old Roses ii
q gentleman, and gentleman is gen
tleman till he"
"Till he humps his bluey into the
Never Never Land, Vic? But what dc
you know about gentlemen, anyway
You were born five miles from tn,
Jumping Sandhills, my dear !"
''Oh, was the quiet reply, ga wo
man-the commonest woman-know
gentleman by instinct. 1t isn't wha
they do, it's what they don't do; anC
Old Roses doesn't do lots of things.
Fright you are, Victoria right yo,
are again You do the Jumping Sand
hills credit. Old Roses has the roo
of the matter in him-and there yo,
have it !"
Dickey had profound admiration
for Vic. She had brains, was perfect
ly fearless, and every one in tn,
Wadgery country who visited O'Fal
lens had wholesome respect for hel
opinion.
About this time news came that tn,
Governor, Lord Malice, would pas,
through Wadgery on his tour up tn,
back blocks. A great function wa
necessary. 1t was arranged. Thel
came the question of the address O
welcome to be delivered at the ban
auet. Dickey Merritt and the loca
doctor were proposed as composers
but they both declared they'd onl,
"make rot of it," and suggested Ol,
Roses.
They went to lay the thing befor,
him. They found him in his garden
He greeted them smiling in his enig
matical way, and listened. Will
Dickey spoke, a flush slowly passe,
over him, and then Immediately lef
him pale; but he stood perfectly still
his hand leaning against sandal tree
and the coldness of his face warme
up again slowly. His head having
been bent attentively as he listened
they did not see anything unusual.
After moment of silence and in
scrutable deliberation, he answere,
that he would do as they wished
| Dickey limited that he would requir
some information about Lord Malice
past career and his family's history
but he assured them that he did no
need it and his eyes idled somewha
ironically. with Dickey's face.
When the two had gone Old Rose
sat in his room, a handful of letters,
photograph, and couple of decora
tions spread out before him; his fin
gers resting on them, and his look en-
! gagged with a very far horizon.
The Governor came. He was me
outside the township by the citizen
and escorted ina dusty and numeI
GUS ceyalcade. They passed the in
spection house. The garden wa
blooming, and on the roof flag wa
flying. Struck by the singular char
aeter of the place Lord Malice aske
who lived there, and proposed stop
ping for moment to make the aC
quaintance of its owner, adding, wit
some slight sarcasm, that if the off
oers of the Government were too bus
to pay their respects TO their Governor
their Governor must pay his respect
to them
But Old Roses was not in the garde
nor in the house, and they left with