Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-09-21

grave. and Jack, taking the shovel in
his hands worked steadily Then Savlle
came, great >trapping quiet looking
individual, with round, good natured
face. He took the shovel forcibly from
Jack, who was too much astonished at
this summary mode Of procedure 20 "
press dissent. You sit down. mate
he cried t. me; you re not looking too
spicy l had been cropping aimle-sly
around. To Jack he said We'll II You
viii work. you can get a sheet Of bark
I've got some rope ~ this for the bush
coffin
In less than an hour time every
thing was ready Then we placed the
supposed John Farquharson on the sheet
of bark ready to be rolled round his
poor body when we lowered it into the
grave. and now we saw Mackenzie Of
Tarraeong coming among the trees ac-
corpauied 10y his daughter, a girl who
| supposed would be about 10 years of
age. and with her "a fair. fresh, pleasant
woman who wGs evidently some few
years older.
For year or two | had not seen
many women. In fact. they were few
and far between in that gulf country.
and such women as there We're well.
the less said about some of them the
better 1t was little wonder therefore
that Norah Mackenzie l had heard her
father mention her name-should have
filled me v.-h a peculiar interest. She
was slightly built and Wore well fit
ting riding habit that suited her neat.
trim figure to perfection. On her head
was gray. broad trimmed felt hat
caught mp at one side and held by
small old fashioned Celtic silver brooch
Underneath her large dark eyes looked
ont from delicately nodded face that
reminded me of some old Italian or
Spanish picture. Her complexion was
of a warm olive tint, and, what with
her dark eyes heavily fringed eyelids.
and the light brown color of her hair.
che represented type Of Australian
womanhood that for subtle, attractive
power will hold its own with any in
the world. Ii was the Saxon type mod
flied By the healthful. outdoor life If
subtropical climate. Her face was of
too patrjcian Il cast to compare TO that
OF gypsy $, but apart FROM its natural
self possession there was something %
alien from conventionality in her lHsn-
ner that the comparison was suggested
l saw Jack look at her steadily. then
abruptly turn away his head | could
not see his face. Then the other man
came up and one OF the BLACK lpys.
The little group gathered round the
grave. The squatter, taking his dauga
ter by the hand, lifted corner of tho
blanket and looked upon the peaceful
white face. Then the girl placed q
wreath of wild flowers, which she bad
carried in her hand. upon his breast
and it seemed to me as if tears stood in
her eyes When for the first time saw
the face of Norah Mackenzie, il aAruCE
me that there was not much Would
escape her observation, nor was ] mis-
taken. She only looked for a mcIaent
upon that cold mask of clay, and then
involuntarily, as it We're, turning round.
gazed in a strange, puzzled fashion It
Jack. The likeness had struck her and
evidently made her think
Have you Book of Common
Prayer" the squatter asked Il II reri
the burial service, being the oldest il
you don't mind, adding in an uris~-
tone, ''I'm not an Episcopalidn, bat
that doesn matter. "
And here something occurred which
shows how at times into the most sacred
and solemn offices n touch of the ludi-
crous will creep. l glanced at Jack, and
Jack returned the compliment ] sup
pose both of us must have IMsscnted
such shamefaced and guilty appear
ance that when looked up and caught
Miss Mackenzie's eyes while Jack staIn-
mered out something about being
afraid he had forgotten TO fetch his
prayer book along with him, there was
an amused expression in them for sec
ond, indicating a quick appreciation Of
the situation. In another instant, how
ever. it had died away, and the squat
ter himself came to the rescue.
''Oh, well, if you haven't one handy.
don't mind" he remarked II put
mine in my pocket in case of accidents
And now in the shade of that great
bloodwood tree the solemn words Of
the funeral service commenced the
most beautiful and solemn words Of any
like service in the world
Then clearly and distinctly came the
words, spoken in manly, earnest voice,
"1 am the resurrection and the life.
1t was indeed a solemn scene. | had
seen many funerals at sea, when those
whom / knew well were committed 10
the deep, and fully realized the solem-
nifty of the situation, but there was
something tragic about the fate Of him
who lay in the sheet of bark, now folded
round his poor, blood stained body,
that was unspeakably pathetic. What
ever the faults or passions of this man
may have been sheet of bark and six
feet of sandy soil in that far Australian
forest were all that pertained TO him
now Within a year or two, such is the
changing nature of all things tropical,
even the place where he slept would be
matter Of conjecture. Perhaps the
fever had made me somewhat fanciful,
for remember it flashed upon me sud
denly what a strange spice of mockery
there was in this burial after all If /
were not dreaming the night before
and l was half inclined to think had
been, or that il was some trick of the
brain arising from the fever-I had
seen Jack take from this man what
simply obliterated his identity and left
him with that which gave him false
one. He was being buried under the
name of man who at that moment
was assisting at his burial For j could
not but suppose that my mate Jack was
the same John Farquharson to whom
the letters which the squatter had taken
from the corpse had been addressed,
and who for some reason or other wished
to be forgotten by the world He had
seized upon the present opportunity OF
accomplishing his purpose TO be consid-
cred as dead. The name which | had
known him under, that of Jack Tyn-
dali, was, Of course, false one. Still
could not be angry with Jack. Speak
of man as you find him" is not only
a charitable but just maxim. l had
never met with a more straightforward
or IA more unselfish man.
The elder of the two women was now
crying silently One could not but OBJ
serve them. The younger Of the two
had placed her arm round the others
waist and held one of her hands as II 10
comfort her. although her own eyes
were undoubtedly dimmed 1t was evi-
dent she was averse to betraying her