Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-10-17

Sioos uoOIS' No CIeeleF CiuuS 10 tue
whitened walls. No shrub softened the
rigid angles Of the yard, and the ve-
randa was too shallow for real shade.
Yet the site had been chosen on a
ridge of red gums that had been left
unfelled beyond the palisade and rus
tied restfully above the slab huts oppo-
site, rendering the latter the more in
wiling quarter of the two.
The riders dismounted at a gate in
the palisade, and as young Sullivan
led the way into the courtyard a tall,
bent figure in a frogged coat and a
plated straw hat stepped down from
the veranda and then stood still.
whats this?" cried an arrogant
and aged voice. "Only one, eh? What
have you done with the other two?"
Couldn't get them, SIR" responded
Mr.. Nat in a tone quite new to Tom.
1t was a very model of ilial respect
and dutiful subservience.
Couldn't get them, sir! Why, what
dye mean?" the old man Numbered.
"We applied for two laborers and a
groom. Why couldn't you get them"
"The fact is l did" stammered Nat,
"only two out of the three We're hope
less cases, in the last stages of-of''-
"Phthisis" cried DR.. Sullivan, who
was an old army surgeon and the bug
bear Of sick convicts and %malingerers
alike. Not phthisis, eh?"
"That was it, sir-the very word the
doctor used when l made him overhaul
them. He said it was no use my talk
ing them, as they'd certainly die on
our hands,"
"Humph. He may have been right,
but I'd trust a convict to sham death
~itself-with anybody but me-" said the
old gentleman, looking hard at Tom.
II wish I'd seen them myself. How
ever, I'll take his word and yours and
complain to the assignment board'-
"Tve done all that, sir" hurriedly in
terrupted the son. 81 stayed the week
out doing nothing but complain.
They'll remember me, l promise you.
It'll never happen again to us. Then
at the end of the week 1 couldn't resist
another Sunday, and you wouldn't
grudge it me, father, if you'd heard
the ermon l heard in st. Philips
church morning and evening. I must
tell you about it later on"
"You must, you must. No; / don't
grudge you that, my boy, heaven
knows" said the old man, Modified in
a moment. He took a bamboo cane
from under his arm and raped Tom
smartly across the shoulders. "And
what Of this rascal?" he added.
"What's he good for?"
"Groom."
"Can the rufian rider"
mot so badly"
Understands horses, does he, and
has behaved himself on the way?"
Yes, on the whole, very we'll"
"Then let him take them round to
the stables and come back here for his
supper. He may have it in the kitchen
tonight; only recollect, you convict,
that if you misbehave either there or
anywhere else on Castle Sullivan you'll!
smart for it pretty quick and pretty
heavy. Recollect that. You're here as
a convicted felon, not a free man, and
l don't care what you've done to get.
here. Whatever it was, the punishment
for it is sc%andalously light. But the,
punishment for anything you do amiss
on my estate shall be all the heavier
on that account. So now you know.
And don't you say you hadn't a fair
warning at the start"
With this DR.. Sullivan shook his a u
in the new groom's face and called his
overseer, for whom he had directions
to which Tom did not listen. He was
more interested in a lighted door on
the right. where stood a female on the
threshold of what he conceived to be
the kitchen and whittier Mr.. Nat him
self had thrown furtive glances. But
now father and son went indoors arm
in arm. The overseer came I'D, a gruff
man with flaming whiskers, and Tom
caught him also looking w%istfully to-
ward the lighted door before he was
hidden to come this way"
ITO BE Continued