The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-31

The last time Field Osgood saw Miss
Barbara GoldinE was on certain sum-
uner afternoon at the lonely post. tele-
graph. and customs station known as
Railway on the Queensland coast. 1t
was At Railway also that he first and
last saw Mr. Louis Bachelor lie had
had excellent opportunities for knowing
Barbara Golding, since through many
years she had been governess land
something uore) TO his sisters Janet
Agnes. and Lorna. She had been en-
gagged in Sydney as governess simply,
but Wandenong cattle station was far
up country. and she gradually came TO
perform the functions of milliner and
dressma ker. ercoura ged thereto by the
family for her unerring taste and skill
Her salary however. was proportion
steIv increased. and il did not decline
when her Office as governess became
practically sinecure as her pupils
passed beyond the sphere of the school
room. Perhaps George Osgood, the
owner of Wandenong, did not make an
allowance to Barbara Golding tor her
services as counsellor and cOnf1dant Of
his family but neither did he subtract
anything from her earnings in those
infrequent years when she journeyed
alone to Sydney on those mysterious Wis
its which nightly puzzled the good
people Of Wandenorg. The boldest. how
ever. and most offhaud of them could
never discover what Barbara Golding
did not choose to tell. She was slight
almost frau i'm form and very gentle of
manner; but she also possessed that rare
species Of courtesy which. never declin-
IL
lapsinS into familiarity. checked all GU
riOus intrusion. WAS it, never SO insinUat-
ing. and tho miliuer and drcssmaker
was not less self-poised and compelling
of respect than the Eovcruess and conf
dant.
IN some particulars tho case of Louis
Bachelor WAS similar for besides being
the post. telegraph. aud customs officer.
and justice of The peace at Railway. nc
was available and valuable To the gov
eminent - n meteoroloCiS+. Tho adj
ADMINISTRATION recoguiZ "a this after "A feW
years SC voluntary and earnest labor ou
Louis Bachelors part, ii was not his
predict one -oucprning floods or drOuGhtS
that reused this official appreciation. but
the fuiflment Of those predictions. At
length a yearly hOnCIariUm was sent to
him. and then again. after dignitied
f,7-0eYa sffus ton. there was forwarded To
10 Brisbane and take a more important
position. II was when this patronage
was declined that The premier dropping
for a moment into that buShman's
iareon which i'm truth came naturally to
hiTn1 said iTritabiy that Louis Bachelor
was a Co.. old fossil who didn't know
when he'd got his dover i'm the dough-
which. being interpreted into the slang
Of the old world. means his knife in the
official leaf But the fossil went on as
Tne-Fa
handful of people i'm the colony. though
they all prOiited, directly or indirectly.
ny his scientific services; and rs un-
known To the jewellers at Waudenoug
as they We're To him, and he again To
the citizens Of the moon.
IL was the custom for Janet and Az
mes Osgood 10 say that barbara GoldinE
had a history; and they said il with lit
lie mannerisms peculiar TO young ladies
of modern promise Janet declared to
her sister Agnes that the maid of honor
$50 they called herr might, if oil were
known about her be translated into
novel; and Agnes. in appropriate sea-
son, had, with slight variations, said the
same to Janet. On every occasion the
sentiment was uttered with that fresh
10 be born gain. The occasion when it
eemed TO have had the most pregnant
origin was one evening after Janet had
be en- consulting Miss Barbara on the
lIl 'SteIit3 or the garment III WHICH she
was 10 be married To bruce Gallant. part
owner Of BOOldai station. "AgEie.'' re-
mar ked this coming bride. her face
flush cd up ever SO pink when I said to
her that she seemed to know exactly
how a trouSseau ought to be. I'm
afraid, dear. I said it with a faint sug-
Eestioll in my ice-unpardOnable with
her ST always is so considerate-but it
had IT'S effect. ] wonder She is we'll
bred enough To have been anybody: and
you kna " it was the bishop who recon-
mended her.
Il was not long after this that bruce
Gallant arrived at Wandenong and occu-
pied the "a ttention Of Janet until supper
time. when he electrified the company
by the narration of his adventures on
the previous evening with Roadmaster.
the mysterious bUshranger, whose name
was now in every mans mouth and who
apparently worked with no cOnfederates,
a somewhat perilOus proceeding. though
ii reduced the chances of betrayal.
Druce Gallant was about to camp on the
plains for the night. in preference to rid
ing on TO mitserable bush-tavern few
miles away. wien he was suddenly ac-
costed in the scrub by a gentlemanly-
looking fellow on horseback, who. from
behind his mash. asked him to give up
what money he had about him. together
with his watch and ring. The request
was emphasized by the presence of a
revolver held at an easy but suggestive
angle from the pOmmel Of the saddle.
The disadvantage TO bruce Gallant was
obvious: he merely requested that he
should be permitted 10 keep the ring
since 1t had many associations. remark
ing at the same time that he would be
pleased TO give an equivalent for it il
the bushrauSer would accompany him
10 WaHdenong. At the mention OF
WandenOng the highWayman asked his
name. on being told he handed back
the money. the watch, and the ring, and
politely requested a cigar. saying that
the OsgO0ds deserved consideration at
his hands. and that their friends were
safe from molestation. Then he added.
with some grim humOr that if bruce
Gallant had no objection to spending an
hour with ROadmaSter over a fire and
billy Of tea. he would be glad Of his COM
pany; for bushranging. according To his
system, was but dull work. Struck with
the unusual character Of the man. the
young squatter consented. and together
they sat for two hours. the highway
7nan. however. never removing the mask
from his eyes They talked Of many
things. and AT last Gallant ventured TO
ask mis- companion about the death OF
Blood Fincnley, the owner of Tarawan
sheep run. At this ROadmaster became
moody. and rose 10 leave; but as If on
second thoughts. he said that FinchIey's
companion. whom he allowed 10 90 tfn-
rObDed and untouched. was both COW
ard and liar; that the slain man had
fired thrice needlessly. and wounded him
in neck frna scar al which bf. ch..-,-.,F.