Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-01-17
CHAPTER XXyI.

H Ia busy in his pantry tearful
"a ~ voice advised him that he was
wanted in the study at once.
The woman vanished as he turned; the
kitchen door slammed upon her sobs,
and in the study Tom found his mas
ter In towering rage.
"You profess some gratitude toward
me. | believer" said Daintree, with a
biting ceremony Of voice and manner.
"Not more than / feel-not half as
much" !.
"Then you are the exception, and
now's your chance of showing what
you say you feel. I'm going to ask a
favor of you, Thomas"
"You shouldn't put it so, sir. love
to serve you"
"Thefr 60 to Parramatta factory and
choose a wife"
Tom twitched all over and stood
very still without word. The other
covered him with an ugly eye.
$50 even your gratitude has its lin
It's. he sneered Another time l
should protest little less If l were
you" ;.
"You ask the one impossible thing"
replied Tom, with groan.
pardon me, l did not ask II" re-
Joined Daintree, whose blacker moods
inspired him with perfect genius for
picking quarrels. Though you have
not honored me with your confidence,
it may relieve you to hear that have
not the least desire to tamper with
your loyalty to some lady unknown. /
ask you to choose a wife-nOt to marry
her."
81 don't understand you, sir" said
Tom respectfully.
"You will if you condescend to listen.
The woman Fawcett says we shall re-
uuire another servant here. I don't
believe word of 1.-THE ladies are
bringing their own maid with them
but this idle, impudent, ungrateful
woman holds pistol to my head and
threatens to desert me at this juncture
If don't get her girl. I've had her
here bullying me for the last half hour,
and this is the hole that I'm in--either
the Fawcetts leave this day month,
when | shall want them most, or l
must apply for convict woman, and
God knows what kind they'll send me.
Now, if you applied for wife you'd
have your pick and choose a decent
one, and, as 1 say, there's no earthly
reason why you should ever marry her."
Surely it would be unfair not to-"
objected Tom, who would have used
a stronger adjective to anybody else.
unfair on the girl? Not at all.
You simply let her off blind bargain,
and she gains good wages and COM
Portable home. The girl comes out OF
1t deuced well, the officials are none
the wiser and none the worse, while /
have the advantage Of your selection
instead Of theirs"
81 might make q bad choice
ooh, If you want to keep out OF It,"
cried Daintree, keep out Of it and re-
fuse me the first favor I've ever asked
you to do me! l shall know better
than to ask another. Only In future
let me hear less of your gratitude till
you've some to show"
Tom consented without further words.
He disliked the plan as cordially as he
resented the outrageous tone adopted
by Daintree, but he would submit to
both sooner than deny the man to
whom he owed more than he could
even yet realize.
Meanwhile the necessary letters, In
which the convict applied for a wife
and the master undertook to support
her. were written, the one with secret
adherence, the other with a sinister
gusto. Next day Tom received his or
der to the matron Of the factory to
supply him with wife and started In
the early morning following on an err
rand which his whole soul repudiated.
"You are to take her back with you"
said the woman, having read her let
ter, >"and to be married from your mas
ter's house."
Tom found Peggy O'Brien and select
ed her. By noon she was a compare
lively free woman. Alas, she was an
unutterably happy onel
Her arm stole within Toms as he
drove. He had neither the courage
nor the heart to tell her the truth out
right. It was cruel position for them
both. He glanced with horror at her
radiant face, and again hd noticed her
hair.