WOODONGA: A TRAGEDY OF STATION LIFE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 36, 11 February 1905, Page 11

WOODONGA: A TRAGEDY OF STATION LIFE.

~ j (Author of " A Rght to a Finish," "In the Track of the Stopm," etc> I

( HAPTEE V. ] TUT. LAY OF TUB LA.NT). j The ele?r. laughing voice. concealing «rh*ps jn-t « spi--* of mischief in its : fonea had hardly reachrd v- before the . vraceful n:rf« that brought then up liS our pnrtv. 1 rouMnj Mr Lo.v lie'B face, but a sound between n sno,t. nd a grunt warned mc thnt even toe laushhv retort bad not reconciled hiiv. -to the unexpected incursion ot hi* I nt my companion, j who -.va« ii ih, ' ■''•■ "' F'' 11iT, S '"- j jnt, M d nnliced thnt n-, i..-onr.ed d-.pfik Bfemed red.ic: than u.-i:al -,- he r-aluted botU ladies wit!, a *JV'w . hl^- in a noth« instant the K irt». f-r.d joined us -Their father, wl l -' had piuied up his horse, clanccd fr.-<*n "no to the other with a "comical look of embarrassment lareely minglpd with pride. ;i- be cleared his throat. -Didn't expert 11 ---o you ?.-, t>.r from homr thi? creair.ff. ir : n>." he said. ••Ob Tii: ".I-"!--" , - -" ~v" '''i o "?''t. when we ' e r,u!r!n't ™'*'" ■■-■•' K - : -'-i '"'" To;u - though w roc-r,-i rill «'.• vvoro bourse. ■ nn you ?'■'■ thy ovrr.irg - to) pica«ent"n lo#- '■■'■- i-i'l;-- - • ■■■■■' ■■•'■■■f fl - -,.,| up the h.-.rse.-. for <.i;r-chv=. rntl-er th-iti disapvf.int. you. and hore w arc." The look her father g.ivf h?r >,vs* uo' ptiitr rf.-oncfod. th-aigh the admiration riistinftly μ-cdorainate.: -he grunted -O.i. con-" now. tivr-.-r i urns old father. V-- kTlf,,v vr ' n:i b:;Tl "' bC;>TI crump if v- h.irln'i o-.rne io nw? you , as usi'.al, -, don't vveten-l. . x, ad. uh. Mr Hortur.. yon ':.t- en'! introduced mo to your frigid "?'.. :>ud \yc're ju«t dyi:i<r to <ee -.orutoody :ifv.': i.- ;-ii np~ -m--e w 1 saw ;:nyi.<«iy: cvi>:t Mr Moncrieff iiasirl been liere since yi'U vm'lU awr.y. ] saw that llorton cvourt-d ;it th-dh-crt appoM to him. but ho tore he had ; time to reply her lather had wheeled b- ;- horse ko ,:s to face u<. isi'-d exclaimed. "Yes. to be -urr-. gir!-. This i< Mr Stevens—one of the of Ltiniprey Hall: you rnnst have heard mo speak e£ Lamprey Hali. Tin ~ure—Mr ; Stevens—my eldest daughter Gertrude, ' M.v daiigbter Elsie—Mr Stevens." I pulled off my hnt. an<i bowed low first to one and then the other, and the introduction was complete. It had only taken a moment, but I hvid not failed . even in that moment to notice that j Elsie was the girl with the golden-brown hiir and laughing eyes, or to catch oae qta'cfc qruestioninp crlanice from thcK?e eves that gave mc something of a new sinsation which I should have been puzzled to describe or account for. j Mr Leslie wheeled his hor.*v a.gain and tourhed him with hi- hoc!. "Now. μ-irk-. come along, or your aunt will think [ we're lost, and dinner will bo cooked to a cinder, and John ( hi.nanrrin in despair."' he cried, as his horse broke into a sharp - gallop, and the rest of us followed him. ' What did it mean': I -«a< yonng, and I yet. I could see that then 1 wn« some- i thing here below the surface. Then the i name the girl had let fa.il *o carelessly ' Could it be tin: man I had reasou to know.' Yes, of course thui: j ■would account for Horton knowing; him. j I glanced at the srirls. It might even 1 account for his disliking the man. Mipkt : it not possibly account for bis other\vi-t' j almost unaccountable readiness to bring mc to Woodoonga' In i.h«? mean- • time the party had fallen into two sub- I divisions, of which Mr Leslie ;uid hi 3 j daughters formed ttt* iir~t and Hortoa \ and I tke second. Only a few yards ' separated us. and yet it seemed to mc : that for some, reason Mr was . anaons to have it ?o. Could it be un | my account-? Did he not think mc good I encragh for the society of bis daugbter* 1 i My eyes rpst-ed on Horton, who wa..-, j riding mc. and nnt itrfirc than j three or four yards off. and I noticed | at oik* thai he was looking at the little party in front with an intent-ness thai nest, I fancied, have some meaning-. ?\lr Leslie , ? daughters wore riding one 'in each side oi their father, and a* I looked I say one of the horses make a sudden spring info the air, and Ht the same instant the rider east one quk-k glance peiind her: the glance wa> not mean-t lor mc. My companion had seen il too. for next moment be at mc. and either the reflection of the setting stm or something else had given his check a manner glow. Well, ivi any rate it was j Miss Oertnide Leslie, and not the srirl with th« smmy hair and laughing; eyes. For some tra&on ,Mr Leslie did not B je*4ai tbe pace at which be rode *unieently to allow of any conv«rsatioiv, and he also contrived uj keep both his d at his side during the rest of <wr ride. 1 was by that tine J y alive to the position of matters to Hee that it was fully understood and Wsent«d by my c-om;>aaiion. though hiS»»e no outwurd exprej>sj<Mi u> his wmoiyance.. unless ,t migbi be by th<"We firnrfy compressed lip-, and tht* Bie *iier look ibat be cast luoiuid hJtu. Md perhaps the morp self-restniined ;tnd toue in which he ajiswred M»e remarks whicJi wejf ever?- minute or 'wo thrown at him over Mr Sftwlder on matters conneflod with the nm. c sub had *vmk by the t-ime wo the risinp Erronrwl [hat had ■*?» pointed out the locaJity r»f the n«E* at Woodnorura. hu, n wr . at buy 1 didn't wonder at t.he »<* of prood sat4Pfa<-i.iori »-ith which we owner cheeked his horse and cal>e<:l • ati eetion to the Wow with a laro-e ***e'6f hie hand. is Woodooijfra.. Mr S'b-vcns " he K! »d, emphati<a«y. '-Chid to welcome 0"c of the Yorkshire. Mwnsr.s. bir. to •"J" plaw." w-as a NurprUe U, mc. for ' l ' J Lhjnk lM " » aul(,| l to keep V, ata distance, hut at the monniiit I • "*i scarcely time tn think of that The C l, 7* S « ran<l - We must m!ve looked I tlta i hesght " l whk4, UP "°° ,J mor, ' ' W j nl - v mUes tin- ni-ain. which, i ggd as lev-el a . lhl . l>n J_ Th( . ~,, MPw from lh( , iun <m . d ya in S™ 65 , o, ' co!our on """ *« tt ■ aad in luiitr lines before, «c eyaung brwzp u[[ w ■ S m , J the distan "' A * <»r m the, could reach there was not a break | t Q w. a . tree ' not a swell in the ground. iaißr " view or ,essen the strange of breadth and loneliness Part* ;, j Colmjrcd - T think the who]e Pfodu a tVmed to watch the cffeft k o{ h^,, 0,1 mc - bllt T tos not conscious Wnf recovered myself witb a ' "V« l and answered' Mr Lfsiie— , '»t « S i-i lt ' s ma sir, but Wβ "Solitary," ■r^* 1 * l uil ;ou co, papa?" a laugh-

I ing voice broke in. '-iolitary! I; should think it was. Oi course it's ' hnine. and it is just the sweetest place' ! in nil the v.orld to hr alono. in. as long a< you've got plenty of people .to enjoy it along with you.' , i Her father la-jghe.d— s>, bicj. indulgent laugh—as he turned away. "'Tes, MadI cap. 1 know. A big- ksnjjaroo hunt's 'the kind of solitude that suits you best, i Ah, old Trailer has caught sight of us ! already, so they'll know we're coming at tiie house." A lons, deep, musical hark came from ! tho right ar- the moment, aud was joined by tv.o others, and :>.s 1 turned instinctively to the sound. 1 got my first glimpse of the home station at Wocdoontra. "Oh, yes. papa, Trailer knows .that the hunt is to be on Monday—he's been getting his voice into training for the last ten davp." '•And you: bow lonjr have you been petting ready, Madcap?" "Mc, papa? I'm always ready for n. hunt. 1 wonder how many we'U have this time. , .' There were t'.vonty-eiffht last rime, you tow, and the T-.fnrrisou.s came thirty-nve miles to be there. Where '.11 Mr Mcrneriell he all this time? But lift's quite sure to lx> hero on Monday. He. hasn't missed one of our hunts for the last three ypars-" They had turned tboir horses by rhis time, and her voirecame bark to HotTon and m«. By a coimnon iaapiil«e we looked at orif another. It was <>nlv for a raoraem, and then he turned hi% eyes away, bur in that moment it spomed to mc thnt I had read several things in thai -ilenr glance. 1 had no doubt now that it was thf ?ann> man; and 1 more than ouesseel why it- wn-- teat Horton fiud '-•. hitter a dislike to blu.\- There might be other reasons but 1 had no dotibt that the look I had seen pa=s like a flash between him and Miss Leslie had to do with one of them. And now if -Vloncrieff did come b* r .-, how c.niki I meet him".' The question was puzzling enough to cwupy ttio time it- us to roach the gate ot rhe home station, and [ h.-iti to confess to myself -even then that, i" was no tvearer a coni elusion thari \rheri i bfgan. As we rode up to the gate F saw Mr Leslie stretch out the hunting crop he carried and release the fastening, so that it Ml open. i "Good irlps. that of yours. Horton," he ' exclaimed, as ho di:l'it. "Blessed if it would ever Lav? occurred +o mo. or any other of us old stagers. Slip-rails were the greatost modern improvement in the old days. Mr Stevens, but that was be- : fare rabbits an.! wire fencing came in. 1 'to<- on well enough wit hour, them, too — ■well enough, sir—weil enough." ; We rode through, and T rode forward ! beside Mr Leslie, while Horton waited ioiiir enough io shut and fasten the cate behind us. I "Clever fellow. Ucrtnn: unusually j clever fellow, sir," my new companion |S;nd tome as wo laft him behind. "Knt ja betu-r manageil run-in Victoria, i;or lone that's kept djojv shiji-shanc. as you'll say when you've seen more of ilheiii. First-clasw man. but a little queer I in the temper to>>. 'fakes likes: and disjlikes, sir; yes. and .sticks to thvm. too. (like, the very devil. Lf'.cky he took a I fancy t\> you. or \ shouldn't have had I the pleasure of welcoming you to WonIdoonga. Xol everybody * he'd have (brought up here. I can tell you. Why. : sir I know men—£w>d fellows enough, I toy. though just a sbn.de fast at times, (perhaps— -that couldn't live on a fifty thousand acre run with him. Queer, sir. l()ueer: and doesn't always mind his own i business, but a first .-class man. too, and I no mistake" I The girls had ridden on the moment I they passer! the ga-tp. so \re were really lulono, which no doniit the secret I of my getting his employer's opinion of Hocton'.s character, but it \ras deeidpdlv ernharra-ssinp co mc. "U'ell. Mr Leslie.'' I aarsvrered. awkwardly orwugh. "I'm sure T may look on myself as doubly Incrky. for lie sot mc out of a very nasty scrape in Melbourne —as no douhf you know—besides giving mc tiie pleasure of making your acquaintance." ••"Dm , he, sir—did he? I'm glad to hear it. though he didn't say anything about 3 .'crape io mc. Just Jike Horton that —just like him. Good fellow,- as ever ilived, but close, sir—devilish close. Xo, jsir: only wrote he had met young Englishman, just out. wanted to learn something of life on run—thought he might, be of ikse at Woodoonga—would bring him up. Thnt -was all: overy word, sit, —upon my soul. sir. every word."' "Well, Mr Leslie." [ said, hurriedly, for f heard the beat of Horton's horse's hoofs behind us. "I almost wish lie ba<l told you all about it. I'm not sure that. T slrouldn't have felt, more comfortable if you had lcn-o-wn -what an ass f made of myself before you received mc so kiu-dly." "Not a bit. sir. , ' he said, heartily: "not a bit of it. Your uanio vras enough to secure you :i wlromc at Woodoonga if you hail inado a nock of asses of yourself. But if you like you can toll mc about it by aud by. In the meantime, you must, a bit and look about you, before you decide on doing anything. We'd show you what, there is to be seen. aDd the girls will be glad of an outsider for company. You'll stay at tht> houre. of course Horton lives over at tlve over<a»ors cottage, you know.'' Mr LesJio spoke with the tone of a m-.yn who was in the habit of havinrr his own way. and of course f fek that I had most unexpectedly fallen on my feet, yet 1 had an uneomfortab!r fooling- that ihis separation between ray l«>nefaotor and myself might annoy him. and might eveu be awkward for mc in the e.Dd. There was. somewhere in the background, t.he -diadow of .Vronerieff. aud I sermtai for the moment to spp aguin the hostile litrht I had last seen in his eves, j There was no ilioiif , now. however, for in another rninuto wp had reached the honse. A hid via* leading away the two horses the j.Hrls bad ridden.' and Horioti was just behind u<. •Here wp ;irv. Mi Stevens. Weleocie 'to Woodo&uga. Oh. Uortou. you'll came ; in and have dinner, ton. won't you?' , Mr i said, as he dismounted. CHAPTER VI. A FKAXK CONFT2SSSON"The kangaroo hunt comes off on Monday/ Horton spoke the wor<is thoughtfully, aa if Vie -were consideri-«g -what they involved, but he didn't .took at mc. i "Tee,"' 1 said, "and.l suppose he's sure to be Yiete; they a\l b?«to to expect him." "He'll b<? here certainly, if he has come back from Melbourne," Horton e&ii

quietly. '"He has no idea you're here, of course —and if tic had," he added bitterly nnxt moment, '"it wouldn't atop him: there's too much at stakp, and. to clo 1 the scoundrel justice, he's got nerve r enough for any thing." i ! There was silence between us for seve- 1 j ral minutes, and. except the cool swish ! of the night breeze that moved the tall j clump of bamboos at the bottom of WooI doonga garden, there wnsu't a Found to break the delicious stillness of the night. It was broken by the lieigh of a horso that came up from the paddock where the blood stock for which Woodoonga j was growing famous were kept, i stirred I IKI-fls.lV. I "Yes," I -.aid reluctantly, "there's n<> help for it. 1 suppose—l must toll him all about it." Tt had seemed comparatively easy on Tuesday ovenintr. but it was a jrood deal harder now that it was Saturday. On Tuesday there had been only the iinI pleasaait feeling that Mr Leslie, who j seemed inclined for some reason to receive mc so kindly, would have to know what a weak young fool I had proved myself, and might ho disposed to repent !of his ready hospitality. That would be i unpleasant enoxigh—it might even \v j serious for mc. if it lo=rt mc a job—but I it had seemed the least of two evil.". And now—now. 1 had a feeling that it was different. ' If Mr Leslie arid his family j ; ! thought badly of mc now—well. I didn't put it into words, but the light of a pair : of laughing blue eyes seemed to flash ou mc through the liquid dsirkne-ss of the night; yes. it would be. different. •'Mr Leslie won't like it." L continued . after iv pause. -How on earth did the : j fellow jrot such a hold on him':" I felt ;i a keen era:=p of personal injury at tho ; J moment that the owner of Woodoonga > i should be guilty of the weakness. ; ' "No. he won't like it."" Horton admit- \ . J ted bitterly. "'That's his way. You eau j • ■ never tell "who he'll take, a fancy to. but j you may be sum he'll stick to them ; pretty hard when he does. After all. . Eleven?, though [ never could endure; , the scoundrel, mo?t people take to him.", . ■Tt was true. It came back to mc at ! . ; the moment how popular he had been ~; with everybody when I knew him Grst:, ( j what a tine, 'landsome dashing fellow i . i In , had -reined to mc till thai day. 1 J .-mid oven recall—-or rarher it Hashed \ , ' '.»" n:" in a moment without any effort of '■■ rniui—th.-i'. t<r=t ru'imrru- r, hen a thrill >••? -ofiiMhinpr like hatred' had passed ' j through mc v.c stood together in the • • Jin]l .-it JaeobiV. No: it uas no wonder :; Mr Leslie liked him. Aud Miss Leslie— , ! did she like him too? r : My four days at Woodooirg.i liad made 'j mc understand :i g<.ad many things. 1 ' I Among then I knew how Horcon ntood ; ! with his eruplcyer; and too of, c : the feeling partly of attachment and i partly of bitterness with which he looked Jon Mr Leslie. I knew too how Hortoij . 'coked at 2»liss Leslie—ov at loa-st 1 '! guessed it; and I felt sure that Mi.'.-t ' : Leslie's father had at least a half shs;pi don ot it. which made hint keep hi-! 1 ' overseer at ;i distance: v. li.it i didn't : know—-or at couldn't frel sure °f— . was what Mi c s Leslie though;, i rrmem- • : bored the planer 1 had thousrht I p<l w, 1 her cast behind her at llorton the tirst - ■ uipht wo met. and there were other . i things—little things most of them — - tliin;js =he had said, more things she hadn't in those four day- iliac 1 made nir think the ptrong. manly overI roor—without MonerielTs polish, indeed. ■ i.r any pretence ;it high rank or higher , education, bat with a hundred times hi- ■ : real worth —might rank a good deal ! ' higher in tho estimation of the daughter ; j than <\f her father. Well, n was no u*e dreaming-—some-j J tiling had 11.' be done. If MoncriefT •■ay..- ---[! to bo at the hunt on Monday I • ••vnM r j neither meet him a- :i friend nor a- .i I stranger. To d<; tho iirs: would bo i.-on I teinptible; to do the second aimost a< , j bed, even it it v.ere pnsfibK i ""Yes." I -^ni<l slowly, "it's hateful: but . t I'll do it to-night. s Horton muttered "Thank God' , be- , tween his tevth. i "Look hero." I said after a moment's ' j pause, •'(•an you giro mc. a hint how to 'j do it boht, Horton? 1 should hr.te to hare ;; row. after his being ?o kind, and " ! everything. How would you go aboui jit:"' ! "tro straight, at your fence. Steven?. i Don't stop to think how: and n> vor baulk. I've always found it the be* , . I way. That, mid keep your temper.'' We wore both silent, for .i nu'nut": 1 J then I ><iid ::.- 1 turned away. "'You're '' I right. }Torton. [ wish to God [ didn't I feel r=o like a coward." ' ■ "YVs. so should 1. if it. was mc." he 1 , said slowly. [ left hi m~tuudin<r tiicrrt '. in the shadow of tJu- barclioort. - I I sauntered .-loviiy up the broad walk I I that lod to tho house, trying lo make " ! tip my mind just what I should say to jMr Leslie, and bovr T should s.iy it." it l " i was no \ise. The thought of how he t i would taJ;o it when ho understood that » ! it w,is no?hincj ioas than an ac-u-sation " j of the meanest kind of theft apain?t a , ] man he knew and liked, a man he had - accepted as o friend and companion for - his daughters, and had perhaps even t thought of as somethiug more t-ian that, : would come in and throv,- overjUun<( elsp , into confusion. No-. Horton was ripfnt: if it had to tie done at all. raid thore , seemed no escape from that, the only ? way was to go straight at the fener. T. 7 1 tho time I had finally reached that conI, elusion I was close to the wide verandah > —two steps only and they would hear j . m«\ Thr Hg£t= were shining throujrii , the Venetian blinds that shaded tiie great bay window of the parlour, where , I. knew Mias Arthur and the girls would , be sittiiur: and farther t:lon£ tho Freneb i -windows of Mr office, as it was . j called, wero open, lotting a broad band , of light fall across tho verandah. If 1 went to the office now should I ever he j able to so to the parlour as a friend ' i again '! I. felt like a coward, and I hated my- \ J self for thr feeling, hut [ km.-\v it had to Jbe dune, or 1 should lose the last irrain of my own respect. "Never baulk , ' —the j words were Horton"s. and they came back like a whisper into my ear. [ took the j advice and stopped on the verandah. J ! '"Come in. Stevens—come in. I'm not , busy. Been looking over the week's ac- ' counts and letters: always do on Saturj day nigtit. Good plan, you'll find, when you're older and have a run of your own. Good plan, sir—very good plan." (To bo concluded next Satnrday.)