Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-09-10
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s,.s1 E.W. HORNUNG, E
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! U. NeR GnA SAS w. ~ man." "Sinsaree"
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CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
~ nee in livery. Tom sat no more
at his masters table. He had,
however, to insist on waiting
at 1t instead and to make him
self the servant he had been hitherto
In name only. Daintree would have
let the old arrangement continue, but
the new one was boon to Tom. 1t
gave him freedom and independence
and occupation, and so helped him
wonderfully upon the upward road.
One evening when a ship had come
In and Daintree had driven into Sgd.
ney for his letters he returned in such
extraordinary spirits that he could
, hardly touch his dinner; he must gloat
over crinkling sheet Of paper, while
the soup grew cold in the very spoon,
and Tom could only suppose that his
masters family had come round at
last. AS rule. he talked necessarily
to Tom while the latter waited, but
this evening his letter absorbed his
whole attention. At last. however. he
/ cooked up, and his saturnine counte-
!, nance was redeemed and TRANSPORTED
by perfectly startling radiance and
i Joy.
/ Thomas" he said, 'you must marry
wifel'
The CHEEKY tone was as new in him
as the delighted look. Tom was so
astonished he had to think what the
words meant before shaking his head.
! why not, my good fellow?" cried
Daintree.
i "Why should you want me tor re-
lorted Tom.
Because am about to marry one
myself"
Had he said he was about to bury
Z one Tom could not have been more
startled and amazed Somehow he had
never conceived Of Daintree as mar
ried man. That solitary spirit cen
tered and immersed in self and con-
sciously wallowing in Its own solitude
and gloom, had forbidden such q
/ thought the more easily since Tom had
J, himself abandoned every aspiration of
the kind. A twinge Of jealousy sue
ceeded his first surprise, but In another
(. moment his heart dilated with unself-
] ish pleasure, and his congratulations
were no less sincere than vociferous.
"If you knew her." said Daintree,
i"you would congratulate me even
more" And he proceeded to praise his
choice as he could have praised moth
+ ing that was not in some sense his,
and yet his passion was convincing.
His voice shook with 1t as his face
shone.
"a Sydney ladyy Tom yentured to
Inquire,
Il "Good heavens, no! If she only were
as near as that! She is on her way
out to marry me. This letter was writ
ten month before she sailed"
saFssssV 'a''a'a nd y. ----- -
lou will see her in another month
"Perhaps before You never know
how long or how short the voyage will
be. Mine waR 1876 days, and that was
long. I kept chart Of it-stop; I'm
going to fetch it! Clear away. I've
had dinner enough"
He rushed from the table, to return
presently with mariners chart Of the
world, upon which he had neatly mark.
ed out the daily courses Of his recent
voyage. 1t was chain Of many links
from England to the Cape and chain
of longer links from the Cape to Aus
tralia.
Snow, Them cried Daintree, arrang-
ing the chart under the lamp and seat
ing himself delightedly at the table
"Now We'll see where they've got to.
Hello! Where's my letter? ~
1t was on the floor, and Tom picked
it up, averting his eyes so that he
should see nothing while Daintree re-
ferred to the contents.
"Ha! Here we have It," and the let
ter was thrust into his pocket "They
were to sail on the 23d of June. How
many days ago Is that? This Is Sep
TENDER the 10Th. Seven-thirty one
thirty-one and twelve. How much is
that2"
!, "Eighty-one," said Tom.
"Only eighty-one! Then you're right"
sighed Daintree, "and they won't be
here for another month. l was fifty
five days more
"They may make a quicker voyage
'They may, but never have. The
ones before was hundred and forty
days They were both above the av-
erage. but not so very much"
1Then all the more time to prepare
In" said Tom, entering thoroughly into
the situation. Eve must get the place
to rights, you know, SIR"
gThat's true. 1t viii help to pass the
time"
@rhen we might pin up this chart"
what and follow the course?"
Suppose they came no quicker than
you did and put drawing pin In the
place every day."
Daintree was delighted. He shook
Toms hand, and up went the chart
and in went the drawing pin.
"You see," he said, they've not got
to the Cape yet. They're only just be-
ginning to turn the corner and run
their casting down."
HThat's assuming they came no
l quicker than you," said his CONSIDER.
"yvell, we will assume it. Still, when
they're a hundred days out we'll have
a flag ready, and you shall begin 60
ing every morning to the point to see
whether there's ball at the south
yard arm, and after that will be the
longest time of all.'
Meanwhile there was much to do,
and Tom did most of 1t with enormous
zest. He had never thought to be SO
happy again. His enthusiasm was the