The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-10
Ole
Rogue
March,.

Tom replied with his eye. and only
scorn was in its steady gaze. When
| the other ceased, he waited a little to
ascertain if that were all; then he
/ turned upon his heel, opened the door,
walked out and shut it very quietly
behind him.
There were high voices in the kitch-
en- as he went his way. And Tom
himself was less cool when he reached
his room, where, indeed, he lay awake
half the night still wondering whether
Nat Sullivan had ever struck Peggy
O'Brien and whether Peggy would
admit it if he had. But in the end he
slept soundly on the clean straw with
which he first took care to line his
bunk
Soundly, but not long, for in the mid
die of the night, as it seemed to Tom,
the changing of a great bell brought
him to his feet in state of high alarm.
He slid into his trousers and rushed
out 1t was that black hour before
dawn. and at first in the failing star
light he could see nobody; then he de-
serted a figure in long coat parading
to and fro before the huts, but the bell
was silent, though still swaying from
the twisted arm of a gigantic gum
tree, when Tom ran up and inquired OF
this man what it meant. He found
he was speaking to the night watch
man, who said his business was 10 ring
the bell first an hour before sunrise,
then half an hour later and lastly when
the sun appeared.
80 you're to be groom? z" added the
~ m inh
for yours"
+'No?' said Tom.
Not mel Cause why? I'm on all
night, but off all day, so | see less OF
the coves than any other blessed man
on the place. Now you'll see more of
'em, and Lord help you if you trot out
a lame nag or a piece of harness the
old cove can't see his ugly mug I'M /
wouldn't be in your shirt for some
thing; it'll be stickin' to your back by
this day week."
Tom was returning to his room when
a sash was softly raised in the main
building. and there was Peggy at an
outer window in an inky shower bath
of pitch black hair. She beckoned him
with her finger, but transferred it
swiftly to her lips.
You did Welt You did wellv' she
whispered. II was in the holy terror
lest you answered Mr.. Nat. If you'd
done that
She shuddered and shut her lips.
We'll, what if / had?" said Tom, be-
ginning to feel sorry he had not.
..Niyer ask me- she returned. "Only
bear in mind that what they'll call in
cnIn j~ Grin (iva
cheek, an it's twenty-five or fifty-an'
now I've told We! IT'S well We should
know. There's some poor Teller from
here gets it livery Monday is iver is.
But you mustn't; so niver cheek 'em,
me dear. and niver come near me
kitchen amy more. Sure it'd be the
dith of Il young gintleman like you"
would itT' said Tom. well, never
you fear, Peggy. I'm not such a fool
as all that, and I'll give them no rea-
son, you may depend"
They may be afther maxim one.
Tom, dear Faith an they'd have one
ready made if they cot We here. There's
the second bell. For Gods sake be off
an reminder Peggy's words"
I'll go when I'm ready, Peggy, not
until; and don't shut down that win
dow or you'll take off my fingers.
Your hand again, It's TO you l shall
owe my whole skim
He gave her his hand. She took it be-
tween both of hers and pressed it with |
a fervor that should have given him |
another warning on the spot. But her |
kind voice only put him in mind OF /
Claire so far away; nor did he hear it /
a gain for some few days. Now and |
then she would wave to him from the I
kitchen window. but it was always to /
wave him back. More often he waved I
to her from the stable door, but she /
Invariably shook her black head at him i
with the greatest vigor.
Meanwhile her words came true
Mr.. Nat had conceived a palpable
spite against the new groom, and from /
things the latter heard in the convicts'
hut. where he went for his meals. he
might have understood the reason.
these same things making him the less
"a ger TO see very much more of Peggy
he cook. Still. he gave her a wave
whenever he espied her in the distance,
or he owed the girl much already. He
vas daily profting by her good advice.
'luce no Gay passed. without us meas
Ire of willful provocation from the
Nat. But Tom was not TO be
provoked by sheer or taunt or oath.
Moreover. he made an excellent groom
ind. being seen no more about the
house. gave no further occasion to the
'nemy, who dropped his overt perse-
utions. but detested Tom the more
or his unexceptionable conduct.
This feeling was intensified by the
fleet of tsat conduct in a certain
quarter. Tom became quite favorite
With the despotic old army surgeon.
nd Mr.. Nat went in constant dread
f his "Sunstrokes" in Sydney and on
he road coming TO his fathers ears
{ was this dread that decided him to
&c Tom alone and to bide his own
inc for revenge. for. besides being
'rivy 10 the sons Irregularities and
established in the fathers
avor the new groom had indeed done
lr. Nat an injury of which he himself
Sas all unconscious. Days grew into
veeks meanwhile the old year burnt
ato the mex. and one week day was
TIL much ike another on this primi-
Va Ar4Ss --ssf F-,r, +