The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-25
PART !.

PART j.
Mr.. Jack Sellers was a flne-looking |
young Cornstalk, who might be seen |
cutting an immense dash in sydney |
one week and driving sheep up-coun-
try the next. Then the bush would |
swallow him for another year His |
beard would grow again, and his wages |
once more accumulate until there was |
enough for the annual descent upon |
the capital, when the twelvemonth'
earnings would duly disappear in as
many days Well-connected as he was
in short. young Sellers used to knock |
down his checque" with the deliberate
regularity of the ordinary pound-a-
week hand
Being unscrupuous and plausible to
boot, this was just the scamp to at
tract and be attracted by Elsie Thorn
ton, who was as good as she was pret-
ty, and as rich as she was good. Sell
ers met her at a dance on board the
Nelson, respectable function which
he had attended under protest at the
outset of one of his little holidays.
The Thorntons resided in a goodly
mansion on The North Shore. Sellers
called, was invited to dinner, and pro-
posed TO Elsie within a week. Elsie
accepted him, and for another week
her people permitted the engagement.
Then things were uspected-discov-
ered-brought home and the mauvais
sujet sent about his business without
delay. Again the bush received HIM,
and now his name was never uttered
in the handsome house on the North
Shore. But Elsie fretted secretly,
though not inordnately, and she took
too seriously pathetic but dignified
letter which one day reached her from
an outlandish township in the River
ina. She did not answer it; but hand
that wrote Greek e's and affected the
colon was surely made for something
better than cracking stock-whips and
cooking dampers in the wilderness; and
1t cost Elsie a tear to put the letter
behind the fire.
The girl was young and healthy
minded, her depths were still un-
plumbed, and she quite saw that she
was to be congratulated upon a for
tunate escape. She harbored no hope
less passion, she discouraged all sem
timental regrets, and yet life was not
what it had been before. Home, her
people, Sydney, the gaieties; all seemed
subtly changed and deprecated, and
it was no comfort to the young girl to
herself. What she did not realize was
that a new emotion had been aroused
within her, but yet not fully aroused,
and that now she would never be en-
tirely happy until it was.
So a year later Elsie Thornton was
engaged again-and again to a BUSH
man. But Robert Clay was a very diff
ferent man from Jack Sellers, and the
love that he won was better worth the
winning, for it was founded on genuine
respect and admiration for a signally
honest nature Clay was a squatter
nearly twice her age, still, strong lion
of a man, who appealed to all that
was best and noblest in the woman
who had promised to be his wife. But
many years of station life had made
him prematurely staid, and what If
that life should pail upon Elsie, and
what If she should be dscontented and
make him miserable-and yet was that
unlikely if she married in such a
spirit? Doubts preyed upon the girl
She did not know that those very
doubts were in themselves no entirely
bad sign. But by her wedding-eve she
did think that she had crushed and
conquered them for good.
1t was a clear and tranquil night in
the height of the Australian summer
The North Shore mansion was over
flowing with bridesmaids and grooms-
men and already-married daughters OF
the house; but the entire party, with
two exceptions, We're dining and max.
ing merry at the house of an intimate
neighbor. The bride-elect was spend.