The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-04-15
THE MAN WHO
WASN'T
GOOD ENOUGH
ByJ. RUSSELL WARREN

What | don't understand" said the
musterer, as he and Fred Stevens rode
side by side across the plain. lis why
you, that used to be overseer at the
Watawa station, should be worldn' up
here an ornery boundary rider"
ooh; it's long story" said the
other man, Struggling his shoulders.
Il heerd as you was going to marry
old man McKenzie's little gal?"
so | was"
Did you hev a dust-up, then?'
Stevens smiled.
No; I" He shifted uneasily in his
saddle, and relapsed into silence.
The musterer said nothing, but went
on munching damper. Presently Ste
vens broke the silence.
IT'S like this, Jake: l wasn't good
enough for her; not by a long way.
[ didn't care two cents about her real
ly. At least, | don't think so. I'm a
bit of blackguard. Jake
The musterer shifted dis1ainfully.
He abhorred this sort of modesty.
Il settled down on that station"
went on Stevens, land feathered my
nest pretty we'll The men all liked
me-would do almost anything for me,
believe Old man Mackenzie told me
he thought heap of me. So did his
wife. And Dorothy Well, I'm not
trying to pile it on, but anyone could
see she really did care for me, poor
kid. And, up till one night, | only
looked at it my own way. As soon as
we were married | should have been
pretty near running the show-one
of the richest horse-rearing stations in
North Queensland. That was enough
for me.
But one night, as | came across the
paddock, | heard her in the living
room singing. The lamplisht was
streaming out across the grass and
could hear her voice and the notes of
the piano coming down on the wind.
! went up and crept along the yeranda,
and stopped by the window looking in.
She was sitting at the piano, play
ing softly, and singing. She often did
that in the evenings. Her hair was
glowing in the lamplight-such pretty
hair it was, Jake; yellow, with
touch of red in it--and her big blue
eyes were looking out into the night.
Sort of seeing what wasn't there, you
know.
And then it seemed to kind Of hit
me. | knew what a blackguard | was.
] wasn't half good enough for her. SO
! lit out for the up-country somewhere,
right away. Found myself up here in
the Yapper, and took on this job, SOS
TO give her a chance to forget me-
Savvy?"
He stopped. Jake twiddled the lash
of his stock-whip for a few minutes
and then said ruminatively:
Reckon you've got the spike De-
preston the doctors call it, don't
they? Never knew a man yet with
the imagination of a jack-rabbit that
didn't get like that sometimes up in the
bush"
You don't savvy, Jake. I'm a low
down beggar all through. Well you
know anyway, I've led pretty rough
life and a pretty wild 'un, don't YOU
SOS many another chap, and been
real good sort with it ALL" quoth
Jake, with sturdy loyalty. Like all
the rough fellows up-country, he
idolized Fred stevens. And what S
past is done with, amt it,"
Yes. But | should have been play
ing it low, old chap, to have married
her when l felt | didn't care for her,
and I'd got such a black record back
Of me. | couldn't do it. It's not fair
on girl when she's fair in love with
you. and you don't care. / wish I'd
never gone there now." he added,
with sudden vehemence. Il cant get
her face out of my mind,"
The musterer gazed at the distant
blue hills. He didn't exactly follow
his companions feelings, but he under
stood vaguely.
Poor devil" he murmured, which
was his superlative of sympathy.
They rode on towards the hills in 81
lence for some time. Then the mus
terer looked up suddenly.
There's chap riding up" he said,
Comm on at no end OF pace, too.
Stevens shaded his eyes with his
hand and stared across the plain. In
the mist rising from the rain-soaked
ground he could just make out the
dark form of a horseman coming rap
idly nearer and nearer.
Wonder what he's after, now?"
queried Jake. embelishing his re-
mark, as was his wont, with refer
ences to the Deity his Satanic majes.
ty, and the internal regions,
The figure came nearer still. 1t wa.
unacceptable so far stevens didn't
know the horse; and a blue shirt a
pair Of moleskin trousers, and a flop
hat are too frequent in Queensland to
be a mark of indentilication.
And then the newcomer raised his
arm and gave ringing "Co-e-ee!"
Stevens started
IT'S Mulins." he said.
Who's he?"