Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-11-04

SsssZz-.---G--->> tha long before the
English took over the Orkneys.
The house is an old, weather-worn,
stone building that stands under the
hill at the head of little bay, and
from the smoking-room window one
looks across n well.kept though storm
driven garden to the blue sea, and
then to cluster OF distant islands.
The room was furnished as smok-
ing-room, yet there were signs of
womans use, as there was piano
with litter of music on it and
work basket The room, as we'll it
might be, from the charm of its look
out, seemed to be the most lived in in
the house.
"You need not tell me her story,
Uncle Dan said the younger OF the
two men, George Lane, a lieutenant
in the navy and just the man one
likes to think is typical of the service.
81 know enough when l know that
Nelly has promised to be my wife,
and that | am the lucllIest man OH
earth"
"Thnt is true enough, young one,
said the other, gray-bearded man of
about sixty. "StilI, you must hear
her story. wish ] had told it to you
before But it is an ugly story to tell,
though her life has been happy
enough You know that she is my
adopted daughter, ard that brought
her from Africa. You know that was
her mother"
He pointed to picture on tho wall,
an enlarged photograph crudely col
ored and inartlstic, and yet evidently
of swectIy beautiful young woman.
'When ] knew her first she was liv-
ing with her father, an Irish Austral-
ian digger, Tom O'Bricn, one OF n
family OF brothers who, from the ear.
liest days Of the diamond fields, were
largo clnmholder5 in the Kimberly
mine. ii was BAL day for her when
she fell in love with Dick johnson, q
young fellow who, like most of us, had
come ont to The diamond fields to seek
his fortune, but he never did much to
find it until he married Tom O'Briens
daughter.
"He managed 10 get over O'Brien,
and got some claims in one of the
mines for him. But that was no good.
In few years he WAS sold up. Then
he persuaded his father-in law to give
him a billet under O'Brien Brothers.
He was made secretary, and for some
time was supposed TO have turned
over a new leaf; but he was always a
bad lot, and in n year or two no and
the floor manager of the company
were caught stealing big diamond,
and they were both sentenced to seven
years. Nelly knows nothing about
this. She was a child at the time"
"Why should she ever know il? 1t
will only pain her, answered George.
''But, OF course, 1t makes no differ
euce to me. ] would consider myself
the luckiest man on earth to. have
gained her love, even if she had fifty
convict fathers. By the bye, what
happened TO him? VIII he give any
more trouble?'
"He never viii, but his story may.
Two years after his sentence, there
was n rising among the conyicts on
the broakwater at Cape Town, where
he was sent He was in it; in fact,
he was the ringleader. 1t was m at.
tempt to escape, and in the fight he
killed 4 wGrder, and for this he was
tried, sentenced and hung"
Lane locker curiously into his
nephew's face as be said this, but if
he were afraid that what he had told
would make the other unwilling to
marry the daughter of man with
such a history, he was at once reas-
sured.
"Nelly knows nothing about this,
I suppose. Well, she never need.
Not that think so much OF it. How.
ever just a mans punishment is, one
can understand his fighting for his
liberty" be said.
"Well, that is the story" continued
Lane. "rhe year that johnson was
hung his wife died. That year was
the beginning OF the depression on
the diamond fields, which lasted fol
some time and ruined a great many
men. The firm OF O'Brien Bros. came
to an end, the bank taking over theil
claims for money advanced on them.
''Iom O'Brien died, more of itht
bad times than anything else. The
other brothers sailed for Australia,
and the ship they were in went down.
Nelly, who had been born the grand.
daughter of the richest digger on the
fields, was left an orphan, with nc
means and without relation in the
world that anyone knew OF.
Now, | had been boarder at tn.
Johnsons, going there when they
were hard up. ! had taken n spell a
the civil service about that time, bu
when my Office was abolished, hat
gone down the river, putting the
money the Government Egave me int
q digging spec. 1t came off pretty
well. [ don't suppose anyone evel
found better in the bed OF the rive
than I did | worked patch o
ground right out, and by the time the
river came down again, as it does il