The Philipsburg mail., 1899-08-18

ooh, that's a nuisance! I did not
know you had friends out there, Tom"
"a sister, sir, lately out from home.
She is very ll--indeed is expected to
die"
well, the coach will be going down
IN few days
I'm afraid sir, l cannot wait; I
must go tonight"
Tonight? Nonsense, man! How do
you propose to go?'
"On horseback, sir; I have two
horses of my own
You would get there much faster by
the mail"
IL am going to take my wife along
with me- said Baynes, in faltering
| tone.
Your wife? What next? Surely
she is not in fit condition for six
hundred miles ride.'
1--WE might catch the coach at Menin-
der, sir said Baynes That would
only be hundred miles to ride; and l
think she can manage that
Mr.. Hall looked very much surprised.
Baynes, however, remained firm in his
intention of leaving, and so at last the
squatter reluctantly gave his consent
to his departure,
Its the maddest thing | ever heard
Of" he grumbled Taking his wife too,
above all things: and flattered myself
we were all comfortably settled and ev-
erything was going on nicely! Well,
it's always the way
Having paid Baynes his wages and
wished him good luck, Mr.. Hall sug-
gested the advsability of his leaving
his wife in Sydney in some lodgings,
and coming back as soon as he had set
tied his business.
'I suppose you will be off at day
light" he said.
Eyes, SIR" replied Baynes.
"He is an energetic fellow, at any
rate" thought Mr.. Hall, "and ought to
get on out there. Plenty of pluck and
energy, with a little common sense
those are the true elements of sue
cess"
The men at the station were by no
means elated at the news of Baynes
departure. He had made himself
pleasant to all, and his good cooking
had added to his popularity.
However, when the sun shone down
upon Baynes' hut the next morning it
was deserted The door stood wide
open, and, beyond the still smoking
logs upon the hearth, there was no
signs of it's recent inmates.
9 In the course of the morning a man
= came up from Sullivan's, and said he
), wished to speak to Mr.. Hall.
"Well, what do you Want?" asked
the squatter sharply, as he eyed him
with considerable disfavor, knowing
= the fellow to be lazy loafer of the
n lowest type.
e "If you please, sir, there's gentle
man who came up by the coach last
= night down Ct Sullivan's. He's had q
T. fit"
y "a gentleman down at Sullivan's
who has had fit, Ell ?"
" eyes, sir; he'd been drinking, and
last night he was seized with a fit"
l, "a very unusual occurrence at Sulli
e vans I've no doubt. Well, and wha
i about the gentleman who has beer
n drinking and has had a fit?"
t. "He told me to tell you, sir, that his
e name is Luke, and that he is brothe
of Bob Luke-him who disappeared
n and that he wishes to see you"
ooh, does he? That alters the case
u You can tell him l will ride down il
is the course of the day and see him
When did he have this ft?"
ut came on soon after he had hi
l supper, sir" replied the man; "and h
III had several more during the night
We had an awful time of it with him
sir, holding him down; and Sullivan
A. was nearly frightened out of his life
As "a good job If he and the rest O
YOU loafers had been quite frightene
,e out of your lives" growled Mr.. Hall t
a himself. well, tell the man I'll loo
in in at him. He'll not die, drink doesn'
lt kill people so easily-worse luck!"
re (To be Continued.)