Part 61 (1/2)

Mother was sitting in her old chair by the fire knitting Many a good pair of woollen socks she'd sent us, and --as we sat our horses, night after night, in a perishi+ng frost, or when the rain set in that run of inters we had, e'd hardly a dry stitch on us by the week together, e had enough of them and the neck wrappers, I expect plenty of others round about were glad to get 'eood nature, for mother was always a kind-hearted poor soul as ever was, and would give away the shoes off her feet--like most Irish people I've met--to any one that wanted theave hersteady like Mother hadn't book-learning, and didn't always understand the things Aileen read to her She was getting too old to do ood still, and this knitting was about the greatest pleasure she had left in the world If anything had happened to stop her fro on with that, I don't believe she would have lived a htened up when she seen ht of trouble could coh her Then the tears rolled down her cheeks, and I could see her lips h she did not speak the words I knehat she was doing, and if that could have kept us right we'd never have gone wrong in the world But it was to be, I suppose

Mother was a deal older-looking, and couldn't move about as well as she did Aileen said she'd often sit out in the sun for an hour together and watch her walking up the garden, or putting up the calves, and carrying in the water froht her ain she'd seem as sensible as ever she was To-day, after a bit, she cahbours, seemed more curious like, than she'd done, Aileen said, forto eat, dick,' says Aileen; 'it's a long ride fro and another I daresay you've an appetite Let me see what there is Mrs Storefield sent us over a quarter of veal from the farm yesterday, and we've plenty of bacon of our own Mother and I live half our ti quite a fortune by the butter lately These diggings are wonderful places to send up the price of everything we can grow'

So she got out the frying-pan, and she and I and ive it a flavour My word! they were good after a forty- but corned beef in the Hollow lately Fresh butter and h at the Hollow, but we didn't bother ourselvesnow and then, was the general run of our grub

We had a talk about the hed in spite of herself at the thought of Starlight walking down the ballroo taken up to all the swell people of the place 'He looked grander than any of them, to my fancy,'

said she; 'and oh! what a cruel shame it see a his equals as he was born to do

Then I should never have seen hiive up every hope of seeing hiain in this world, God kno cheerfully, if it would serve him or help his escape'

'I'm down here now to see you about the same escape,' I said; and then I told her about Jim's letter, and what he said about the ood while patiently, with her hand inand happy and alive--alive, not deadbelieve to live So I told her hoe made it up to meet somewhere near the Queensland border Jim to co, and we to an If we could carry this out all right--and it looked pretty likely--the rest of the game would be easy; and once on blue water--O my God, what new creatures we should all be!

Aileen threw her arms round my neck and sobbed and cried like a child; she couldn't speak for a bit, and when she looked up her eyes seemed to have a different kind of look in theht from what I'd ever noticed in them

'It hts through and vowed in She may accept the service of my years that are to come It may be permitted after all the sins of our people'

After this she dried her eyes and went to her room for a bit, while I had a quiet, easy sort of talk withat

Then Aileen came out of her room with her habit and hat on 'Run up my horse, dick,' she says, 'and I'll take you over to see George Storefield's new place A ride will do ht her horse and saddled him for her, and off ent down the old track we kneell all our lives

I told her all about our lark with old George, and how good he'd been through it all; besides proh his country e rand start She said it was just like him--that he was the kindest soul in the world, and the htful The new Mrs

Storefield had been very civil and friendly to her, and told her she knew George's feeling towards her, and respected it But Aileen never could feel at hoo to see old Mrs Storefield, who still lived in the fae, and found it the best suited to her So we yarned away till we got in sight of the place When I saw the neo-story stone house I was regular struck all of a heap

Old George had got on in the world and no mistake He'd worked early and late, always been as steady as a rock, and had looked ahead instead of taking his pleasure straight off when he got the first few hundred pounds together He'd seen fat cattle must be dear and scarce for years to come Noticed, too, that however cheap a far-away bit of country was held, soht for 200 or 300 Pounds, it always rose in value year by year So with store cattle Now and again they'd fall to nothing Then he'd buy a whole lot of poor , or some of those thick places where they never fattened, for 1 Pound a head or less, and send them away to his runs in the Lachlan

In six rown fat cattle in a year or two, and be worth their 6 or 8 Pounds a head

The saht up all the little bits of allotes on them round Paramatta and Windsor way and Campbelltown--all them old-fashi+oned sleepy old places near Sydney, for cash, and cheap enough The people that had them, and had lived a pokey life in thes with, and quite right too Still, and all this land was rising in value, and George's children, if he had any, would be a the richest people in the colony

After he'd randfather, old Captain Oldhaiood a house as any one else So he had a gentleman up from Sydney that drew plans, and he had a real stone house built, with roolass house at the side, for all the world like so Point, near Sydney

Aileen wouldn't go in, and you may be sure I didn't want to, but we rode all round the place, a little way off, and had a real good look at everything There wasn't a gentles of all sorts It was a real tip-top place, good enough for the Governor hi had been knocked down, and new railings and everything put up

Soy trees had been cleared away, and all the dead wood burned I never thought the old place could have showed out the way it did Butin this world But there's precious little it won't get you, and things must be very bad it won't mend A ets older that character and ot to be carefullest of in this world If he's not particular to a shade about either or both of 'eood look round and seen the good well-bred stock in the paddocks, the growing crops all looking first-rate, everything well fed and hearty, showing there was no stint of grub for anything,house entrance and came opposite the slip-rails on the flat that led to the old cottage

'Wouldn't you like to go in just for a minute, dick?' says Aileen

I knehat she was thinking of

I was half aseemed to draw me, and I was off my horse and had the slip-rail down before I knehere I was