The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-09-09
Select Storp.
MISS HELEN-
Vivian Brooke. in Chambers Journal.


show-no slight thing. If the worlds
kettle had been set on the boil, we'd have
come to the top as prime scum-iruth, and
no lie, mate. But amongst us was man
dubbed ''the squire" because, though he
Jared like the rest of us, lived and dressed
just as we did, yet there was that in him
which stamped him as of quite different
breed. Swells out of luck are to be found
by the bushel in Australia; still, | never
came upon his double before or since.
Rumor went that he was a baronet at
home in England but had been forced to
cut and run so he tried New South Wales
and the gold diggin's, bent on succeeding.
found him at Green Valley creek when
| reached it; we worked not far off each
other can't say | liked him, though he
was wonderfully quiet and civil spoken,
but cold as ice, and hard as nails a chap
who was never tired, and who never gave
in, but plodded on and on towards his own
end, whatever that might be. But silent
as he was, and selfish, he opened out a bit
to me, pra'ps because, though didn't set
up either for swell or saint, | wasn't
quite so bad as the worst in Green Valley
Greek. I had been respectfully brought
up, the son of a small farmer in Kent {;
but didn't go in for responsibility my
self; it never agreed with me; so | was
sent adrift at last with fifty pounds in my
pocket, and the world before me. There
was fresh stampede towards Australia at
the time, and [ joined the general rush
and scramble; and as say, when | had
settled down at my claim "the squiFe" and
| scraped up sort of friendship.
He did not live alone his daughter
was with him, though how and when she
reached him, none knew she had reached
him and bore her strange life as best
she might. They dwelt in small
shanty in the midst of many pines, poor,
rough place, far apart from the other huts;
queer frame for such a stately picture of
a woman-a lady with the same superior
bearing visible in her father. I'd walked
that way with "the squire once, ana she
ran out to meet him. The sight of her
struck me all of heap, so unexpected in
the lonely spot, where there was no other
company than the bright winged birds, no
other sound than the stir of the windy
trees. She was tall, the color of wild
roses in her cheeks, Heavens blue in her
eyes. Her dress, dark and close-ftting,
had none of the fashy ornaments that
women such as we take up with cram on !;
her hair, coiled smoothly about her head,
shone like black satin.
"This is one of my-chums, my dear,
said "the squire" with his soft voice and
his hard smile.
Since then, | had hung about the log
house often, labor ended | fetched water,
got in sticks, cleaned boots, or did such
odd jobs which were not fit for her and
said no word but she found ME out in a
brace of shakes, and grew used to and
was thankful for such help as l could give,
knowing that | meant no harm, though l
started her at first-a great Qrson of a
chap in my rough gear.
One evening I came on her watching in
the cleaning How eerie it was there
underneath the trees the wind soqghed
through the branches, bringing dash of
rain; deluge was in the black clouds
sweeping across the sky.
Il am anxious about my father" she
said, looking like a tall white lily that
somehow had been showed into the wrong
pot, and touching my big earth-stained
fingers with her fine slim hand al am
always anxious about him though, since
knowing you, have not felt so absolutely
distressed, for am glad to recollect that
you are within his call You would stand
between him and harm, think"
"Why, yes, miss make your mind easy
on that score; 'twould be done with will.
But what harm is like to come, that you
need furry q
ooh, but, Mr. Straightways, it is such
ii hard, dreadful life for him!.,
"Aud for you, miss !"
"Ah but | will not think of myself;
that would never do" she answered,
quickly. And, going indoors, she began
to tidy the scrap of room, thus trying to
rout her terrors.
"Ned : she cried, stopping suddenly
cher father always called me so), 81 had
such curious dream last night.
dreamed that 1 went down into the little
valley beyond the wood and there | saw
my father lying on the grass sound asleep
80 sound that | could not wake him
while the clusters of wild flowers sprang
up so high that they Ind HIN, and heard
the pines in the distance chanting sol
emn kind of litany l was crying when |
woke"
'You are too much alone, miss, and
grow nervous
perhaps. And then--I am troubled
about his journey to Goulburn tomorrow,
and his taking SO much value with him"
Goulburn, as suppose everybody
knows, is the chief place in the southern
gold-mining district we all went there at
times to get our gains weighed, or changed,
or banked.
'My father has been very fortunate
lately has he not ~ she asked