Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-09-06

CHAPTER XIV.

SAOuSuf lA1OoC uc0Ny sui
dangled about his legs. Moth
Ing was so strange as the sud-
den cessation of the horrid jingle which
had marked and Knocked every move.
ment of his body for four whole
months. He felt quite lost without 1t,
and he clambered into the curricle
without word. Daintree cracked his
whip. and that was the sole sound
from either of them In the first half
hour of keen and starlit freedom.
Feel cold, Erichsen?n
no"
Because you can have my coat If
you do. My things are thicker. Only
say the word"
He said nothing. Such gratitude as
he felt in his degraded heart was not
yet SO poignant rs to need expression
It was a very vague. dull sense at pres
ent. But Daintree understood He had
simply to sit next that silent, aged, cal
lous figure to understand all.
They drove on to Maitland, where
they supped handsomely and lay all
night. In the morning Tom was we'll
and warmly clothed at the best store
In the township. And that day the diff
ference was that he kept turning to
look over his shoulder and this ut
shorter intervals as the day wore on.
.'Is anything following us?" said
Daintree once.
"Not yet" said Tom.
''Not yet! Why. what do you ex-
pect?'
sWhat deserve" said Tom. And
Daintree had the wisdom not to press
him upon this or any other point He
knew what was alleged against Erich
sen ut Castle Sullivan. He had heard
the story from the principal superin-
tendent. He began to think there
might be some truth in 1t, after all.
Next morning he was sure. They
had put up at an unusually comforta-
bic roadside inn, where Tom had a very
excellent room, yet he came down with
wild, unrested eyes and twitching I'm
gers.
Its no usew he bitterly exclaimed.
Haven't you slept?"
Not a wink. / heard them coming
all night long-heard them coming with
the chains. Oh, take me back! They
have made me the guilty man they
said was when wasn't. / deserve
everything now
And second day Of terror he spent
In the curricle. looking backward hour
after hour, but when that also passed
over and still nothing happened he be-
gan to think that either Butter was
mistaken or the major incredulous or
his enemies Of another mind now TINT
he was gone. At oil events he took
heart Of grace md at last thanked
Daintree for what he was doing, with
out asking, however, why he was do
| ing 1t.
On the third forenoon the spires and
windmills Of Sydney fringed the sky.
Then they mounted hill, and there
was the harbor sparkling above the
roofs Of the convict city.
1--WE had better drop the .Erichsen'
now" said Daintree as they drove up
to the turnpike gate. Il suggest that
Thomas will suffice both Christian
name and surname. I think It would
be preferable for the present What
say your" Tom consented with per
feet readiness and Indifference, and he
looked behind him for the last time as
much as to say what was the only thing
on earth about which he was not as In
different as the dead.
They drove down Brickfield hill over
the spot where Nat Sullivan had tum-
bled Off his horse and past the notori.
Gus inn where he had lain 1t flourish
ed still. And still the doleful felon
music filed the air, striking more STAG
cato in this crisp weather than six
months since In the heavy heat, but 1t
struck to Toms heart no more. On
the quay there was crowd and a
fresh shipload Of convicts disembark-
ing, but Tom felt no pity for them
either. And now, when his II ma
ton was aroused. 1t was by til. lgs
ing laziness Of a road gang. lose
overseers We're smoking aud chatting
with the conyicts, while the latter
moved neither hand nor foot, and the
l. =
They want the major there" said
Tom grimly. "He'd have that peck OF
stones. about their ears II they stood
looking at 1t much longer!'
Daintree turned and regarded him
with particularly pleased and kindly
smile; then Tom knew that he had just
| volunteered his first remark since leav-
ing the stockade, and he thought he
knew with what sympathetic patience
his first voluntary remark had been
waited for, though he only now sus-
pected this from Daintree's smile. His
heart swelled little. They put up al
an inn, and he made himself more
useful to his new master than he had
been yet.
The bungalow was some few miles
out upon the delightful woody shore Of
Rose bay. They drove on there in the
afternoon, and the greenwood dipping
beyond the post and rails Of the Old
Point Piper road, the lush meadows
dipping beyond that and the azure
arm of the harbor seen through the
one and above the other were all a
very wonderful change after that ter.
ribla plateau Of the past four months
Nor had they any feature in common
with the detested region of Castle Sui.
Ivan. Tom had seen nothing like this
up country. To crown all, the bunga-
low lay bathed In the richest sunset
when they reached 1t and Rose bay
deserved that name indeed, for Its sun.