Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-11-01

be known in my house, and you shah
start fair. In half an hour. then, jones'
shall call for you in my chaise."
And Tom actually found himself
quite a privileged member OF a decent
household before he had time to realize
his good fortune. The other servants
were ordered to treat him with respect.
His pupil was put entirely IN MS
charge. He had his meals with the
family and had reveled for one night
in a delciously clean bed and bedroom
when the master of the house came to
him In the morning with a very wry
face.
cts all up, jones'" said that philoso'
pher, with the blunt intimacy when
had made Tom like him from the first.
my good wife has discovered who you
are. and she refuses to leave her bed
while you remain in the house. she
has read of you In the English papers,
confound them. and she simply WON'T
have you on the premises! 1t seems un-
reasonable when you consider that our
cook was a bloodthirsty baby farmer,
our coachman professional burglar
and SO on right through the staf-ha-
bitual criminals every one-whtch
don't think you are. Still there's an
other side to it. There's. the boy to De
considered, and though l think you're
the very man for him, mothers feel
ings must be studied in such matters.
You see like you well enough to be
perfectly frank about the matter, but
the fact is the chaise is waiting for US
outside"
So ended that chapter. and Tom was
back at barracks In time to hear the
clank of chain gangs shutting family
out to work and the swish and whistle
of the morning lash. Those two instru-
ments supplied the street music OF the
convict city. There were few days
and few hours when you might not
hear their melancholy duet. To Tom
the sound of it was still physical tor
ture, the more unbearable after this
cruel taste of better things. Nearly
all his shipmates had been assigned
and taken away in his absence. Only
one other special was left, a London
clerk transported for fraud. Toms
late master, a friend Of the superin-
tendent, was allowed to carry him on
in Toms stead. and long afterward
the latter heard the curious sequel OF
his own misfortune. So thoroughly
did his successor teach what he knew
that both tutor and pupil were pres
emily transported to Van Diemans
Land for life.
The incident was sufficiently dis
heartening at the time, and yet 1t had
its hopeful side. 1t revealed the posi-
bilities of the assignment system. or,
rather, its better possibilities, from the
convict's point Of view. AS punish.
ment 1t must needs prove a farce In a
community which preferred to estimate
convicts by their capacity as colonists
rather than by their crimes as felons.
Such was Toms comforting reflection.
for not yet did he realize how entirely
the condition of the convict was de-
pendent upon the character of the
master; but, having had one good mas
ter. though for so brief period, he
looked cheerfully for another.
The other, however, was slow to
come. His false start seemed to tell
against Tom with the authorities.
They were in no hurry to assign him
again, and presently he found himself
the last man Of his draft In the bar
racks. with his hammock the only one
a-swing between the stanchions of the
great dormitory upstairs. Then one
morning he heard row In the yard,
and there was very overdressed,
thickset and thick spoken young man
abusing the officers because there were
no convicts left.
81 tell you we applied for three. and
rye come down expressly for Them"
he spluttered out. "Over q hundred
blessed miles I've come. from Castle
Sullivan, near the Hunter river, for
two farm laborers and groom. all
properly applied for in lots OF time.
And Just because get touch OF the
sun and can't come on the right day
Pm to go back empty handed. am II
Wen see about that. I'll complain to
the board"
"That won't do no good. We've only
one man left, and the board can't
split i'm into three"
"Oh, you have one, have you! Haul
him out and let's have look at the
lubber."
So Tom was produced to receive the
unsteady scrutiny of swimming blue
eve that told tale, and was Informed
with an oath that he was special"
and they wanted none Of that kidney
1t Castle Sullivan.
Great was Toms relief, for a coarser
face he had seldom seen, but at this
the officials remarked that 1t was a
special or nothing, and the cleared
eyes were on him once more.
"Come from the countryT
Eyes"
SADDLE a horseT
EYES,"
"And ride him after%
"Better try me-"
"Well, so will! You be ready In an
hour, and q horse'll be ready for You.
I'll go back with groom IL with
nothing else"
"Waitv said Tom.
"What's up now|
"I'm supposed to have committed q
MURDER" said Tom through his teeth.