Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-11

thing about Il. And what they think alb
s~Glutely the most impossible sort Of thing
Carew ever did may--T don't say II will
scrape him through where some OF us may
be told to stand down when the last reckon
ing comes.
! suppose his people and the Mortons
decided before Daisy Morton could walk
that she should marry Henry Carew, and
20 unite the Hampshire properties. Harry
left a Sery fair record behind him at Elton,
having followed the line Of least resistance
there, and thus avoided lectures and pun
tshment. He msandered through his time
at Oxford. Then he dawdled about tho
continent for six months. and returned home
In time for Daisy's "coming-out" ball on
her nineteenth birthday.
There were very few men in England
then who loved color and beauty more than
did Harry Carew. Daisy was beautiful.
A trihe spoiled by her people, perhaps, but
q dainty, charming, winsome little queen.
And none Of those concerned had been
quite foolish enough to let her suspect
anything Of the deputy-destiny business.
The lights were brilliant. the decorations
beautiful and the occasion inspiring. The
surroundings suggested sentiment. The
suggestions of environment we're always
nrst cause and law absolute to Harry
Carew. In a dimly-lighted iower-scented
conservatory winsome Daisy grew tender
with her old playmate. The situation de-
manaed its curtain. The line OF least re-
sistance was the mans only course. He
threw back his head to the pleasing in
toxication of It all, told Daisy he loved
her, and won her promise to be his wife.
We'll, she's a dear little girl. anyhow"
said Harry to himself as he stood a. his
bedroom window watching the sun rise over
the New Forest.
Within the next few days the very I'm
necessary formality OF asking for consent
had been gone through. For various rea-
sons 1t was decided that the marriage
should not take place till after Daisy's
goth birthday, and to this arrangement
neither Of the contracting parties had any
objection.
Just a month after the engagement news
reached old Mr.. Carew in Hampshire Of
certain complications connected with some
Of his extensive station property in New
South Wales. An Ascending manager and
a serious bush fire were among the diff
%culties, and Mr.. Carew's Sydney solicitors
strongly advised q visit to the south, and
in the personal setting to rights Of things.
The delicate state Of his wife's health and
his own duties as a member Of parliament
1899 49, hbA
possible for Mr.. Carew.
In discussing the matter with his father
Harry Carew, without for q moment think
ing Of his engagement, expressed his readi-
ness to 60 to New South Wales, just as be
might have offered to run up to London.
The old gentleman very gladly accepted his
sons offer. So Harry explained the situa-
tion to his nancee and prepared to leave
England for Brindisi at once, promising
that his trip should not occupy more than
three or four months at the most.
Then It was that Daisy Morton discov-
cred that she really loved the easy-going
man she had promised to marry. When
she had given her promise she had been
merely fond Of Harry. Now she loved
him. and experienced a feeling OF dread in
parting from him. So there were tears In
her pretty eyes as she said "Good-by."
But the time had passed for any altera-
tlon Of plans, and after all, she told her :
self, the separation would only last a few
months,
Harry Carew stayed only three days in
Sydney. Then, with the breath Of things
English still fresh in his ~nostrils, he started
for the north. where his fathers stations
lay. What he saw from the box OF the
''Cobb's Royal MALI between Tibberena
rnd Meryula was his first glimpse Of the
bush-the great gray wilderness.
Carew looked, and saw. a little; and was
interested. 1t takes a goodish time to see
comprehendingly, but there does come q
period at which one has a desire, on reach
ing the bush from an outpost Of civilization,
TO bare ones head before its naked, solitary
? grandeur. Carew had. of course, not reached
this period when ne dismounted from
: Cobb's Mail outside the Meryula store.
A 49, INNNyn N@Oa and snaNhnRhA -
shanty which in Meryula Is called THE
Royal Hotel" he hired a wiry little
broken-in brumby at about half the cost OF
the outright purchase of a horse In the
same locality and said he would ride Out
to the Cootra homestead alone.
He rode out quite a considerable dis
lance in the direction indicated by Larry
Foley Of the hotel as the road to Cootra
- And then he gradually realized that he had
lost his way, and himself.
Though he did not realize the fact, hii
losing the track was, up till that time, the
catastrophe par excellence Of his life. II
the MeryIla country old hands have died
mad and starved. pushed within 1--WE mileI
OF a township.
The sun was setting. Later on came Z
little moonlight; not much. but enough 4
make that weird Meryula country many
times more NelIu anu D6WliueIlnB tudn u
had been in the evening sunlight. Carev
spent the night in realizing his position
Aud before daylight came he was verl
weary and gray, and a little hysterlcal.
In the very early morning sunlight Carev
lifted up his tired eyes and thanked hi
Maker for the sound Of & human voice
II was a rich. unframed contralto. and tn
trining, Joyous words that reached tn,
mans wondering ears were, up in tn,
morning'-and then a break. Perhaps Their
was a stumble and a change Of stride Il
some hollow
Riding through wet grass, the bushmsn'
on his way;
The bullock bells they ring. along the Hill
eide there,
And
And then Carew pushed his brumby hur
riedly to one side TO make way for a hors
flying at full gallop down the side Of tn
little ridge, at the foot Of which he, CareW
had been waiting and listening.
"Hullol Who's theref"
In three or four times its own lengt
the galloping horse was refined on to Il
launches. with a "Darkeyi Wal Steady
steadyl" And Carew saw that the SINCE
Was a girl, whose long. glossy hair streame
behind her. dew-spangled. and whose fac
had a warm. moist bloom upon It.
nkNa -. Aan.., A.. ~ Ia l...-Es.