The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-09

/ Ia
castles he had seen. Irish cas-
| ties he had heard about. but what was
| this? A tumble of slab huts on the
I right, and facing these wooden, one
! stored rectilinear eyesore-three sides
| house, the fourth a formidable palisade.
| and in their midst an arid courtyard
| overlooked by French windows and
| glass doors. No creeper chung to the
| whitened walls. No shrub softened the
| rigid angles of the yard, and the We
| randa was too shallow for real shade.
| Yet the site had been chosen on
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
viting quarter Of the two.
The riders dismounted at a gate in
the palisade, and as young Sullivan
led the way into the courtyard tall.
bent figure in 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 very model of filial respect
and dutiful subservience.
Couldn't get them, sir, Why, what
dye mean" the old man Numbered.
I'VE applied for two laborers and a
groom Why couldn't you get them?"
1.-THE fact is did, stammered Nat,
"only two out of the three were hope
less cases. in the last stag of-of''-
icic ri CIR E,,I
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 1 made him overhaul
them. He said it was no use my TAX
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''-
I've done all that. SIR hurriedly in
terrupted the son. 81 stayed the week
out doing nothing but complain.
They'll remember me. I promise you.
It'll never happen again to us. Then
at the end of the week couldn't resist
another Sunday, and you wouldn't
grudge it me. father, II you'd heard
the sermons 1 heard in ST. Philips
church morning and evening. 1 must
tell you about it later on
You must you must. No; 1 don't
grudge you that. my boy. heaven
knows" said the old man. Modified I'm
a moment. He took bamboo cane
from under his arm and raped Tom
smartly across the shoulders. "And
what Of this rascal?" he added, {
whats he good for?' '
Groom"
"Can the ruffian rideT
''Not so badly"
Understands horses, does he, and
has behaved himself on the wayY'
Eyes, on the whole, very we'll"
Then let him take them round to
he stables and come back here for his
supper. He may have it in the kitchen
-onight; only recollect, you convict,
hat if you misbehave either there or
anywhere else on Castle Sullivan you'll!
smart for it pretty quick and pretty
leavy. Recollect that. You're here as
| convicted felon, not a free man, and
don't care what you've done to get
lere- Whatever it was, the punishment
or it is scandalously light. But the
punishment for anything you do amiss
n my estate shall be all the heavier
n that account. So now you know.
md don't you say you hadn't a fair :
at the start"
With this DR.. Sullivan shook his cane
l the new groom's face and called his :
verseer, for whom he had directions
, which Tom did not listen. He was :
lore interested in a lighted door on
le right, where stood female on the
lreshold OF what he conceived to be =
lie kitchen and whittier Mr. Nat him :,
IL had thrown furtive giances. But
DIV father and son went indoors arm 9
arm. The overseer came I'D. a grufs ;,
an with flaming whiskers, and Tom .
Iught him also looking wistfully to- =
ard the lighted door before he was :,
dden to ''come this way 9
So he followed the fiery whiskers TO
e stables, a long log building some n
tile distance beyond the house. and 81
re Tom was so smart in unsaddlinr d
Id SO quick to find chaff bin and oat IL
ok and saddle room that his surls "A
'mpanion was moved to rude al al
snceS bt
You're pretty handy" he growIed 10
Been a groom before2' III
"Only since we left sydney" III
well, you're in luck too. The groom hs
re has room to himself next the "
ddle room. Come and I'll show it 81
~, Ell
The room in question was very small 10
Id sQualid. with fixed bunk and a u
III paillasSe. but Tom thought it CO
ould be delightful with nice clean
raw, and TO be alone at nights was OF
compass an unexpected and IN IN
luxury Ginger whiskers u
inted out the other convicts' quarters
their way back to the house. They
ere the slab huts opposite the pail
de. Two were large, the others all Isl
lalL That was the overseer's hut