Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-14

there. and come with me? You could take
Mr.. Grantham's saddle. He won't mind
Under the circumstances, Carew thought
he might risk Mr.. Grantham's displeasure.
Five minutes later he was cantering along
by Darkey's side toward the lower slopes
Of the Wydah hills.
That ride by the side Of this strange beau
tiful child Of the bush was the first and
perhaps to Carew the pleasantest, OF long
series Of morning and evening wanderings
about Cootra. To the girl 1t was the be-
ginning Of all things. And as the beginning
It was beautiful. The Englishmans COM
panionship and attentions she accepted with
perfectly unaffected enjoyment. as new
and splendid gift from the great Father of
her belief. who gave her access to the bush;
and to all the glorious exhilaration OF bush
riding.
Carew in his inconsequent way had left
no instructions in Sydney for poste restanee
letters to be forwarded to him. And 30 1t
happened that week after week slipped by
In the uneventful Cootra NE without any
! communication from the outside world COM
ing to remind the Englishman that he had
ties and responsibilities in place where
| no bush was.
Carew was preparing for a ride with Aileen.
came a station hand from Meryula with
batch Of Hampshire and other letters, for
warded from Sydney by the Cootra solic-
| itors Carew postponed his evening ride.
| and sat down with dawning Of serious
ness in his eyes to open and read his let
| tiers. He read them-his fathers and his
| fance's-and at every hne his face grew
| a little more serious and little more for
! eign to- the phase Of nature worship and
| lotus-eating in he bush through which he
had been passing.
| AS he laid aside the last letter Of the
I batch he decided to return to Sydney at
1 the end Of that week.
Meantime. Aileen. new world had be-
gun from that morning when she found Ca
| rev in the bush. And he was in her new
| world sun. moon and stars, land, sea and
| atmosphere. And now he had to go away
| for time.
He found himself absolutely incapable Of
| hurting her feelings or producing a light
of pain in her big eyes, by telling her that
he would not return: that their parting
| was to be as final as their meeting had
was embodied in the word. "Aufwieder-
| sehn." In any case he told himself. he had
provided for her living always at the home
stead. where she would be taken care of.
Aileen rode with him to Meryula, and two
| bright tears trickled down from her black
eyes when she said Goodbye before Ca
rev mounted the coach.
| Goodbye little girl That is-au revoir,
you know. And-No! I shant forget. Be
as happy as you can till come again.
And then the coach numbered off down
the dusty road, and Aileen stood at
Darkey's head shading her eyes with one
little brown hand and gazing after her new
world. till the coach became only distant
cloud Of dust That last look Of hers was
not easy to forget.
She had lost her new world for a time.
and the old world was forever cut off. So
for a little while she must sit in the gray
| ness-the no mans land-between the two
till her lover came back. bringing the world
she loved.
No doubt Carew did all that 1t was ncces.
sary for him to do in Sydney. But he did
not spend more time over 1t than he could
help, and as soon as was conveniently pos
sible he set sail in the old Carthage fol
England, and the world he had left some
five or six months before.
He landed at Plymouth and went straight
to Hampshire instead of going round BY
London Every one knows what happened
then. That liz the part Of the story known
to the men at my club; and on the strength
| of which, regarding 1t as the whole story
they dismiss the affair by calling Carew
beast.
There Is no need for me to tell how Harry
Carew pressed for an early date for his
wedding. Queenly little Daisy was yer,