Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-22

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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
eager to see very much more of Peggy
the cook. Still. he gave her wave
whenever he eSpied her in the distance
for he owed the girl much already. He
was daily profting by her good advice.
since no day passed without its meas
ure of willful prOvocatiOn from the
rutfianly Nat. But Tom was not TO be
provoked 10y sneer or taunt or oath.
Moreover, lie made an excellent groom
and, being seen no more about the
house gave 10 further occasion 10 the
| enemy, who dropped his overt pcrse-
cutiOnS. but detested Tom the more
for his uncXceptionable conduct.
This feeling was intensified by the
! effect of that conduct in a certain
| quarter. Tom became quite favorite
with the despotic old army surgeon,
! ana Mr.. Nat went in constant dread
! of his 'SunStr0keS' in Sydney and on
the road coming to his fathers ears
! 1t was this dread that decided him to
| let Tom alone and To hide his own
time for revenge. for, besides being
privy 10 the sons Irregularities and
dangerously established in the fathers
favor. the new groom had indeed done
| Mr.. Nat an injury of which he himself
was all unconscious. Days grew into
weeks meanwhile. the old wear burnt
| into the new. and one week day was
| still much like another on this primi-
tive Australian farm. When tIre third
bell rang at sunrise. every hut dis
gorged its surchar@c OF C0nvictS. and
Ginger called them over like so many
SchUOlhOyS in front of the paliSade
Then the shepherds TO the pastures
the plOwmen to the arabic land. the
bullock drivers to their teams. and
Tom 10 his stables for the iivelonc
! day. Such rs could come We're sum.
moned to breakfast ut ana to dinner
ut l by the great bell banging i'll lis
cucalyptian belfry. and all hands were
recalled by il between s and 9 ut night
Sunday was IL nominal day of rest
which included two long compulsory
services in the courtyard beneath !
savage sun. Or. Sullivan read tie
prayers with the voice of an eXpcu
TONER. hi; bamboo cane on the desk
in front Of him for use rs Il batOr
or as an instrument Of correction for
the man who dared to smile or L
whisper within his reach. The terribl,
Old man would also take this weekly
opportunity of animadvcrtinG on thu
lost souls ana abandoned character o
his conyictS in general. with particular
. illusions 10 those whose en0rmiti"S ha,
earned them the lash during the pre-
Ccding week. II" neye" failed II 2S
- sure future Offenders that they woui,
% he punished without mercy in thci
i turn ana would slash the desk wit
his cane to emphasize his words s
religion and foroctty ran hand in han,
ut Castle Sullivan, nor was hypocriS
! very far behind Mi Nat led tn
u hymns in devout sustained. ster
torian below, while>a maiden sister
the only lady of thG> establishment
: whose voice the convicts never hear
and whose face they scldoul'%Saw br
> on these occasions. supplied a. pei
Il functory accompaniment on the plan,
forte
Ii Amid the branches Of the red gum
/ without flockS of parrots would cha
;. ter mockingly. their vivid reds an
II yellowS lighting up the somber hu,
of those perennial leaves that viii
p percd none the less cnticincly of CO.
II Siestas in the shade. Yet Sunday aftC
II Sunday these tyrannical Observance,
'r were maintained and enforced. an
Z the evangelical doctor loved to boa'
1t of the device whereby he had enforce
d them in the beginning. on the fir
lie Sunday n,rc-tcnths of his men Ia
TO announced themselves Roman Cat
ii Olics. So he had drawn up these gent
le in line outside the paliSade and thcl
n kept them standing out Of carShOt. bl
in the full glare of the sun, during Il
entire service. And on the Sunday fC
10 lowing there was not 4 Roman Cat
NJ Ollie. among them.