TOSY; OR, LOVE CONQUERS ALL.

Bush Advocate, Volume I, Issue 65, 4 October 1888, Page 4

TOSY; OR, LOVE CONQUERS ALL.

QHAPTER 111 (Continued,) "Jfend.i you, Colonel Dormer 1 I will tell' the servant to/show you to, your former room," said Helen ; " and as soon as I haye'taken Rose to her room I will seek out my father and send him tp s you. please lejb me tkanfc you onco more for my dejttsisisx&gift, '» and the twpioving sfcWrsJeftiSirJßolan^ in charge of thefmam-servantj. whP, \mth] looks o|s«Wje>o and admiration for: the coio'iielj .led;him to his chamber. helped: Sir Roland to strlp'ioff'Jii^ drenched garments and lit a fire in the grate. He thenbroiigllW^: clothes belonging to ColotiMtt^ey; i^lf^oU'«pleasej sir, the colonel wiaiie's niake; r use of these ; uiftiim^lttgk^ c onie^ om the ■station. The colonel's orders' are ttfijrj o|^Wii66'le£v* your ; rdom anifiwcWee )%& '*$ t^' o * l J& SwiiWb $ a^nuJ#oi?fwo, Sir;" £:,^ fslie%a^ fiio^a> ; wi rildsbldier, ekvea military salute and' departed. Sir ftblaridismiling at the manner in^iiMVtfe directions of Colonel Hai^ey -Welrc! carried put by this fait#uir^p#r/(iuwkly dressed:himsel#S^¥! i«sislippeid.on hishosfc's drMSing-feown (whicU yasmuch too lbnff ; for ; him , in ;the ; sleeves, but -^^^l&^acrbss, the shoulder)*, when r'allnock came at %:door,, -' and' (jriastier and man presented Wipael, M*PW. rushed forward^ gu^aj^iMfifc Robert entered in a " tra^^xm ;■/ w&h were glasses.; and 6igar|^ v AilargevdeQauter ; ;of brandy, arii a»&teamingrsilverikettle. l^y dear>boyi how are you ? I, hQ^e-fou ( don't -feel ariy bad- effects frpjni^Qur ducking.- To think that y<Su- should have been instrumental inxaaving my dear : little daughter's life. v ?My darling Tosy [-what should 1 have done if I had lost her ? Had ' it} piea§ed f Providence i- to call her ; away^« ©ornier, I ; should not have : 'livedmnother hour: I love my little Bose bettet than my- life a thousand tiinkk I thank you sUfficieiitljrpld felloe 1 1 am gettifig an old^ma^, Dprraer; and cannot expe'cjb to-iive^any more i years, but ■ h^'anyjfcHing happened to her, my 'wojuld truly have gone : dow with : sorrow to' the grave. She is a good girl, Roland, and I shall never forget this service." Saving;, this, he wrung both of v Sirßblind's hands with ;great fer%,vou^ and one or two heavy tears tridfelecl clpwn his handsome, careworn- face. r \ • ____J^My:deaiMDolbnel Hatvey, -don'-t fehmk sp^niupn »b6ut it ; aft danger is pkßti« and I/am truly grateful that I was .enabled to be of the slightest assisjiance ,) bufc upon;" yikj word, if yon; inpn|.i6n it;. again, 1.. shall* not st4y,ai;long, as I intended. I only, didniy.iduty." * l\ /You ~%re a noble ; iello w, Roland ■Dormer,, , and : I- love and respect yop.u Andriipw ;tell me what you hav^een doing all thjs . time, and how iypu came to be on the spot so ' opportunely ? First, ,<c|raw .. your cn'air^upitothe fire, and let us have a gopd long chat over pur grog and cigars." The two men then composed themselves, and Sir Roland began his narrative, whilst the old soldier listened 'with earnest attention, only interposing an ejaculation now and then qs something Sir Roland said aroused his enthusiasm, indignation, or admiration. The ;?younger , man related the ■ <: whole history of his last campaign, touching' -Uightly on those points where his own bravery was made apparent, but expatiating with warmth and admiration o,n the valour of his men. He concluded by telling, how he had received the : honour; of knighthood. "^ell, I am heartily glad to hear „ of it Sir Roland. I knew it must come. I knew the Government would be compeiled to reward your merit. Let me congratulate you ~ , with; ray whole heart. I never felt •"■• better pleased, in my life." ■ ••Thanks, thanks, very much for ~Z ' your kin^: wprdjß/'said Sir .Roland, f : ? vilusyngS^e %Jg|rl of, sixteen when ;^the (bolonel meptiopefl his, merit. ■I- .U-- <• i knew you would be pleased, and I hastened here to tell you the news myself." " By4he-bye, Sir Roland, don't you thiiik it is time you looked about you for a Lady Dormer?" eaid Harvey, laughingly. ,At this a slight 3hadow passed : OVer Sir Roland's face. ." Colonel Harvey, I will not ''.-. attempt to deceive you. I came here for another purpose than that of telling you of my success." 11 Oh XI exclaimed the colonel, interested. "Yes, I came here to know my destiny— whether I am to continue the unhappy outcast and wanderer I have been, or to be raised to the pinnacle of happiness and bliss." ■ "I thought it would be strange .*- if the flutter of a petticoat was not to jbfe^discovered somewhere," said 0 the 'old soldier. "The women lnanage to mix themselves up wi th :.'-.•-; everybody's affairs." /'Colonel Harvoy; there is only '■oue woman in the world that has it ; in he? to make me a happy ■ amd cpjn tented man," ;:,'! You? daughter Rose. From the I saw that fair young jknew HbhatmyjheaH Was not i||^fe#W* W a «4 Wither«4i { {

knew that I was still capable of loving madly, devotedly, and passionately." • -■••-■ .= ''Why did you not tell me thi? before ?" asked the colonel, who was somewhat mystified. "I will tell you why, Colonel Jlarvey. Because I have been cruelly and heartlessly deceived.^ I have been wronged and illused,~ as dnly a bad, designings womau can use a man, I have been fettered for twelve long years by a thraldom that was worse than death. I tried to forget it in the turmoil aud bustle of a military career ; but when your {air daughter came before me, like a vision of light, all- my resignation Aed, and the horrible blackness »f my existence was intensified a thousand times." : " You completely bewilder me, Roland, the colonel said, fancying that the excitement he had gone through, and the grog, had somewhat unsettled the young manß brain. ; " 1 am bewildered myself when I think of the pain and .misery.; I have endured. " But, Colonel fiarvey, before I ask your leave to woo your daughter I will give you the Mstorj? of my life, , You l, can ; then judge' if my contaminated life is fib to mate with-that of Rose." " My dear fellow, I know you are only excitingyourself unnecessarily," said the colonel, kindly, "If there is anything you want to tell toe, particularly, I shall be all attention ; but before you begin I must say this, that there isn't another man in all the world I would welcome so gladly for a son-in-law as yourself, Roland Dormer ; and if the young puss is only sensible enough to accept you she will have a nobleand honourable husband." . " You are most generous, sir," said Roland, qffering his hand, to which the other gave a friendly grasp. "If you say that after I have, told rajr story, I shall be tHe happiest of men." „ t» "Whatever you may tell uae, Roland, I kfiow you sufficiently to be aware that you could never be guilty of a dishonourable action, I should 'be proud of you as a husband for my Tosy ; but— " " But V 1 said Dof mer, anxiously. ' " Nothing, my dear fellow ; only my little girl has.a wilful way of , her own. She haY already refused one gay cavalier ; but.l don't think that will be your case, Sir Roland Dormer, and I am sure I hope it will not." , Saying this the colonel lit another cigar, and composed himself to listen to' Sir Roland's nan ati ve. i The young knight gave a look of unutterable gratefulness, and began his story in a low, somewhat sad, tone — ' "I must ask you to go back some twelve yeais, Colonel Harvey. I was then a young man of twentyone. I had a very fair property— thanks-to—the _eare_. of my poor father-— and a commission as lieutenant in the Household Troops. I was gay, young and foolish. I never was addicted to vicious habits, but I certainly was not a recluse. (To be Continued.)