Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-01-10
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
~A nee in livery. Tom sat no more
E Ia Mt his masters table. He had,
IA III 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. Dut
the new one was boon to Tom. IL
gave him freedom and independence
and occupation, and so helped him
wonderfully upon the upward road.
One evening when 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 u crlnkling 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. buc
this evening his letter absorbed his
Wnole altentou. ~ iioe' ho"S'SA' ~
looked I'D. and his saturnine counte-
| nance was redeemed and TRANSPORTED
by a perfectly startling radiance and
| joy.
"Thomas." he said, "you must marry
a wifew
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.
"Why should you want me tor re-
iprted Tom.
Because l am about to marry one
| myself"
Had he said he was about to bury
one Tom could not have been more
| startled and amazed. Somehow he had
| never conceived of Daintree as a 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 a
thought the more easily since Tom had
himself abandoned every aspiration OF
the kind. A twinge of Jealousy sue
eeeded his first surprise, but in another
| M oment his heart dilated with unself-
ish Measure, and his congratulations
1 were no less sincere than yociferous.
'Tf you knew her." said Daintree,
"rou 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 it as his race
| shone.
"a Sydney ladyY Tom ventured to
inquire.
"Good heavens, no! If she only were
as near as that! She is on her way
out to marry nc. This letter was writ
ten month before she sailed"
"From England?
ayes"
lou will see her in another month"
"Perhaps before. You never know
how long or how short the voyage VIII
l.ba. Mine was 1856 days, and that was
| long. | kept a chart Of it-stop; I'm
going to fetch it! Clear away. I've
had Inner enough"
He rushed from the table, to return
presently with a mariners chart OF the
world, upon which he had neatly marx.
cd ont 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
1 tralia.
"Now. thenw cried Daintree, arrang'
Ing the chart under the lamp and seat
ing himself delightedly at the table
"Now well see where they've got to-
Hello! Where's my letterY
IT was on the floor, and Tom picked
| It up, averting his eyes so that ne
should see nothing while Daintree re-
| ferred to the contents.
ala! Here we have It," and the let
fer was thrust into his pocket "fhey
were to sail on the 23d of June. How
many days ago is that? This Is Sep
tember the 18th. Seven-thirty-
thirty-one and twelve. How much Is
| that?'
"Eighty-one," said Tom.
"Only eighty-one! Then you're right
! sighed Daintree, land they won't be
here for another month. I was nifty
FIVE days more" :,
"They may make quicker voyage"
"They may, But never have. The
one before was hundred and forty
| days. They were both above the av'
erage, but not so very much"
! .Then all the more time to prepare
I in," said Tom. entering thoroughly into
the situation. eve must get the place
to rights, you know, SIR"
"That's true. 1t will help to pass the
time
"Then we might pin up this chart.
"What. and follow the courser
| "Srppose they came no quicker than
you did and put drawing pin In the
place every day"
| Daintree was delighted. He SHOOK
Toms hand, aud up went the char'
and in went the drawing pin.
"You see," he said, they've not got
to the Cape yet. They're oaly just be-
ginning to turn the corner ana run
their casting down."
'dThat's assuming they came NO
quicker than you." said his CONSIDER.
("WeIl, we will assume 1t. Still, when
they're hundred days out well nave
flag ready. and you shall begin go
ing every morning to the point TO see
.whether there's ball at the south