The Springfield herald., 1899-01-20
CHAPTER XII.

coulu get out ana walk about llttle
with the aid OF stick Nothing would
now induce him to touch spirits; and
Sullivan grumbled nightly at having
lodger who, he declared. not only
occupied his best bedroom" but hard
ly spent enough to pay for his tucker
Still Sullivan had one consolation, and
that was that, as the story of the new
arrival was circulated, people were
curious to see this William Luke who
had been condemned for murder and
pardoned.
Luke's one desire was to get strong
enough to go on to Redmount and
search for some traces of his brother.
He amt there" replied Sullivan, as
he listened to his customers repetition
Of the old story for about the fiftieth
time. Didn't Mr.. Hall tell you for
certain that the Bayneses couldn't be
the ones you are after? Didn't he see
Baynes' wife? And didn't the trooper
and other people see her and him? And
aren't they all certain you are on the
wrong track?"
But what made them go off so sud
denly" said Luke, still unconvinced,
the very day l came upF
BLESS the man." cried Sullivan, get
ting weary of arguing with him
hasn't Mr.. Hall told you over and
over again that the chap got letter,
saying his sister was i'll in Sydney? If
| you will make mystery of everything
connected with them, why, you will
that's all I've got to say"
Pnf the mora nike fhDupht and tho
more he read and re-read his brothers
letter, the more certain he felt that
there was something about the
Bayneses which no one as yet sus-
pected.
Did not his brother say that on that
very night of the 25th OF May he in
tended to visit their hut?
'I mean to see her tonight, whether
or no. Baynes is away fetching some
stores, and won't be home until morn
ing. So now's my chance!"
These were the words which William
Luke read as he sat beneath the shade
of gum tree on the creek side, and
racked his brains to work the puzzle
out.
| One day-about month after his
arrival at Sullivan's, and when he had
become tolerably convalescent-Luke
made up his mind that he would go to
Redmount; SO, borrowing horse, he
started off.
Upon reaching the station, he was
received with every kindness by the
hands. who felt rough sympathy for
the man who had come so far to see
his brother and had not found him.
Mr.. Hail. too, had got over the first
feeling OF disgust he had entertained
for 1.-The gentleman who had been
drinking and had had fits" and asked
him in his kindliest manner to come
up with him to the house and talk mat
ters over.
81 wish to ask you several questions
SIR" said Luke, "about things that have
been on my mind"
ASK away" replied the squatter.
First of all, l must tell you some
thing of my own history" began Luke
| nervously.
"That is unnecessary, 1 am sure"
said Mr.. Hall gently. "1t cannot pos
sibly bear upon this present question"
mo. sir; perhaps not but still
tnlnk Ia ratner.
GO on, them am listening"
well, sir entered service early,
and was in many a good situation; but
latterly I could not keep my places.
The curse of my life, as it has been
the curse of many another one, was the
drink. The place where lived before
I went to Mr.. Hughes-who, you know,
was murdered-I left on that account;
checked the master, and he said 1
had stolen his wine. That was true.
However l made up my mind on 60
ing to my new situation to turn over
new leaf!"
"And you did not succeed?"
mo, sir. l went on very well for
short time; but, if it is not wicked to
speak so of the dead, he was a most
provoking old gentleman. Frequently
he would find fault without any sort
of occasion; and on that particular day
Of the dinner-party he had been more
than unusually cantankerous. That and
my old habits made me take to the
liquor again. l felt annoyed and put
out, and was 'nipping' pretty freely
throughout the day. After the dinner
was over, took bottle of sherry from
the cellaret, and drank it up in my
ROOM
"Yes." said Mr.. Hall; "and you were
not quite sober in the morning"
Il was three-parts drunk when l
awoke. and could not clearly bring to
mind anything which had occurred on
the previous night"
- Just sol"
well, you know the rest. l was
convicted, condemned, and ultimately
pardoned. Edward Bartlett, the foot
man, swore in his evidence against me
at the trial that l had been often talk
ing of how should like to raise money
enough to take me out to Australia"
And had you done so?"
Believe me, sir. as there's Heaven
above and as l sit here, it was he who
was always speaking of coming out
here. Such notion never entered my
head"
well, but how does this bear upon
the question:"