Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-06-19

" R II
bungalow. 1t was TO culmi-
nate at st. Philips church in
Sydney on the Saturday morn
ing. The license was bought. The
bridegroom carried the ring in his
pocket. Everything was ready but a
best man. And here another peculiar
ity stood out. There was no best man
to be had. AS in London so in New
South Wales. This baronet's son and
heir, this man of blood and means and
literary feats, was unbclOved in spite
of all. Claire and her aunt had been
absolutely the only guests at the bum
galow in all Toms time there. Nor
was it because Daintree had never
made a friend in the settlement. 1t
was because he had never kept one i'll
any quarter of the globe.
Meanwhile the ladies came to Rose
bay no more. The happy man went to
them instead and would stop till mid
night, to gallop home by starlight and
pour out his happiness to Tom until
| the harbor turned from Jet to polished
steel; and twice the steel was silver.
| and once the silver was flaming gold
| before the poet would hold his peace.
| 1t was long week, but the nights
went quicker than the days. Daiutree
| had never been Il better companion
than in those long, confidential, star
| lit talks. They were not exclusively
on the one subject. Tom learned ut
last how the murder had affected the
party at Avenue Lodge. and one whole
| ,;..l,% I,
for thinking OF two men in two new
and startling lights. They We're the
living man Harding and the dead man
| Blaydes. The first haunted Tom the
longer. Why had he insisted on drag
ging Daintree to the trial?
The days We're heightened by Peggy
in the kitchen, with her kind. uninjured
looks and the unfailing, friendly, anna
bic word that made him feel the mean
est of men The girl could be an angel
when she had him, with al his cold
ness, to herself. lie never suspected
what she had been from the Sunday
night to the Monday afternoon. And
now they were both under notice to
leave.
IF only you two would make up
your minds to marry" said Daintree
TO Tom. 81 have you both on my mind,
but l could provide for the two of
you at one stroke as a married couple.
1t has long been my wish to start Il
model farm up country, and you and
Peggy would certainly make model
managers" But Tom shook his head
more decidedly than he had shaken it
while the little Rosamund was prick
Ing her way across the chart
On the Friday, the same breeze hold
Ing good all the week. Daintree decided
to sail round to Sydney instead of driv-
ing. He had a solid check to cash for
the wedding trip, and the Point Piper
road was no route for a pocketful OF
money and O life at its very highest
value. Tom asked If Nat Sullivan
was still in Sydney and was told that
. he had drunk himself PROSTATE at the
\ Pulteney, whereupon Tom volunteered
for the voyage, and so escaped Peggy
4 for one afternoon. To make safety
!. doubly safe. however, they ran into
8 Farm cove, and Tom and the dog were
to wait in the Domain while Daintree
went to the bank and called at the
= hotel.
= 1t was then 8 o'clock, and Daintret
was to be at least two hours gone, bu
he returned in less than one, bringing
Claire with him for q sail. Toms sur
prise at seeing her was less than tina
of the girl at sight of him. The indig
nation was altogether on her side ant
sufficiently perceptible in spite O
Claires efforts to conceal an inappro
= pirate displeasure. Daintree did no
= = see it, but what they all three missed
q was the furtive figure which emerged
v from the trees as the boat put off.
q Claire was given the tiller and toll
: simply to obey orders, Daintree tool
s the sheet, and Tom was put into tn
J; bows to be out of the way. The sal
made convenient screen. 1t also pre-
vented Tom from knowing in the leas
e what happened. AS matter of fact
they were just taking the wind-whic
was by this time fresher than ever
when Daintree's attention was divert
I ed by an apparition at the water
edge. 1t was the man who had follow
ed him through the Domain, and 8
rapt was the gaze with which Daintre