TOSY; OR, LOVE CONQUERS ALL.

Bush Advocate, Volume I, Issue 79, 6 November 1888, Page 4

TOSY; OR, LOVE CONQUERS ALL.

;V.#;ff."M JcJSA^pRIX.. "■ V ■• ■ " •ttSlklttiStlw^^^^^d' 1 the -'fetoily* hid returned to Nothing had been heard of • -Roland since he had arrived at New Zea- , ft !\ aW" *f hey had ' received a letter da^ he arrived at Wei?;lin|to f n, sayibgthat: h^; was about - j '$ St^lp libutitry^ >nd ; suggesting " o {fii^-'a^TOtor«-'^ttr^e^-tp;him at f .^he ,post-office Would : be duly re"SivelSCdiopei Harvey had Written 'lff©fl|rsjtf Clara's: death and a|n|e^nfoss]o^ advising Roi^nd -M ) jpfoin . ajCpric?,, which he had Oi cuiiy wceivedfas we naye.seen. ; • ,- jhe, .months) < had } slipped away. ;;ttetace,p|4ne ;^rtfi^a%disp ( ring had arriyed; witn a smiiin^face* ; bring?roiser!- --• lafety duringr t^e ;jpast- winter. But * still' ritttningiwaa heard of either of the brothers. Spring^ %ife;turn,i gave place to .rthis^mdr-eifull^ developed matron, summer. The -roses and tulips had «*«kensfcne places: of <sho i snowdrops • and primroses j bub still no sigh V ttoom the f ar-off? wanderers; i (ifAiiuumtthad^nbw madeitslappearanoer The air resounded ; with the ; telf^nWb ! 6f the* late 'haymakers, and > ill J laf k& eaWy sjong Was drowriecl in tjhe'sto^ ; 6f the" whefcsjione posing 'i^l&ng the husbandman's sickle. 1 . '*■- '{■■ AM* as 4 the greyr shbrjier the 'ftiiftjrff iooked;|Bkanice at each. other, « ■ aucl reald ; |h 'qn^ajidilier's facesthe dare give - s? uj;lefanceto. -* 51 -'-',' l ' '' r ,' - ■ _.-; • '^Even tHe Mdiiel ..was getting i anxious, an2; lie liad of late given Tv^ay to a s: sjli^ " speaking. "."". ' ..'.""' The gas hadSJusfc been lit and the blinds drawn, attfiough the windows open on this sultry evetip| • i/ Helen, had taken V^t.her^prk, Her father was perusing tlie paper, i.^and Rosy was pretending to read a new novel, when , . startled by ■< Rearing. Jpud *^vo|§iw.£im(J r the'/ trampling of feet. '~ They started up in surprise hot unmixed with'^cogsterhation* /and looked anxiously towards the door. " They had not long to wait .in their suspense. vTThe door was flung jiopen-and on : . the threshold: stood Sir Roland Dormer and a stranger, who was the facsimile of Roland, only a shade or frwo darker.' „ ihThefgiris rushed forward with a glad cry. ■ "^^ 'Uoiand 4 Roland ! safe again at las^ my dear, brave, and faithful darling.!'^ : , v , .. ',V ' ( "'Charlie 1 my own Cnarlie! Thank Heaven ! He has heard my prayer." The colonel passed quietly out of - the roomy leading : lHe. pair of lovers to .thekpw.n^sweetipieasuresv ; -: We, gentle reader, will also leave . them fort§n hour or ; so,,and thenjre-l turn wiln a fond father, ' |; _ A | J;t A,SjGolpnel:iHar,yey entered, the feoin the young men arose and -wrung! his; hand. Roland \ whispered in his ear— " I received your. letter, and know ■■: • .". ■";..;■■.'■'..■."■ . v -. s '^Aflidinowjr Roland,": said thf cols onel, 'after a pause, " howis^ itf^u did npt^answer .any i of. iny despatchis^ ; '"' •<■■-;'-- " . **I will explain, On reaching Wellington T first wrote to you,, and then r^olved Jo start off iof ifie'&e&fed&ae.itwer; I fortunately met al 1 old friend of mine, whom lknew I could trust. To him I confided the Whole of the oircumistances,,under which Charlie »was placed;," He/ agreed with me that great caution wan needed, for fear the natives, taking the alarm, should ■ ♦ convey Ohirlie inland, fie accom- / panied me and we engaged eight tfvonfcl, powerful fellowd^and four Mioilel, /together with plenty of ♦ j)fbvisibn ! 8 and 'a serviceable fiver Doafc., -AfJ-er .these, preparations had' iieett u completed .we started at puce. Tliqre were ten Europeans, incjud jbg ; ; ibyf e|f ; apd. 'my friend : l^M#t^e-t^^, and fp"ur Mapries -'.'-.".- eikh^^ carrying^^STgobd rifle And long, swjbr4,-l|ke knife. ; At the first falls Ihe Maories left us, and proceeded towards Chatutu's camp, passing themselves as friendly. We proceeded by land as far as the second falls, carrying with us a light bark canoe, ; which we took with us as far as the third rapids. Here my friend and I left our men, and'paddled the , canpe to the opposite bank of the riVer, on a level T vith Chatutu's catnp. We here hid it among long grassland waited for some sign from our black friends. We stayed there for weeks before Charlie had an opportunity of seeing me, I hardly knew him when he came up to me. He was all painted and covered about the head-piece with feathers to such an extent that he looked more like an overgrown parrot than a man." '-', " Now, qlil fellow, draw it rcild, fdt khow/ ?: broke in Charlie. "It's. a fact, I assure you Helen. I W almost shooting him when he Bpoke, and I atonce knew his old familiar voice. '" '" Tq.mako a long story, short, it took hear four months from the time v I started a to the time we returned to ;.- Weilington. The natives discovered '.'. Charlie's; flight and also our river boats. ?We were, therefore, compelled ; to tramp the whole of. the distance, : for ntore - then half of the way S , we; were compelledto fight for our iives ftgfM the iofuriatecl eavages,

As soon as I got to Wellington I answerer} all the letters I received; butlrreally believe we raced the mail— Charlie was so anxious to.meet JJelen." "And you were J nbt at all in a hurry to meet ißose,. I ..suppose?" s'aYd'Chariiii. ' ; ''• The other did not answer, but clasped his arm tighter fdund the fairylike form of his betrothed. It may be assumed that there was not much time allowed to elapse before a pair of blushing and timid brides stood opposite the same number of manly though embarrassed bridegrooms. Not one of that quartette was happier than Colonel Harvey, whose face beamed with pleasure, and who seemed to have taken a new lease of life It was the remark of many an elderly spinster, (though, lam afraid they would never forgive me if fchey knew that I had ma^P ■ use of that atrocious adjective), made with a smirk and juveaite blush; " Colonel Harvey is not so old yet, and I believe before, long will be m ? tfotlucing another Mrs Harvey." years have slipped away , and a ladyHa'hd; gentleman' are sitting on a seat on the lawn of Alchester Towers. On ther lady's lap lies a lovely little cherub of about nine months, who is cooing and laughing at the rooks as they, fly overhead. "Now, my darling . Tosy," says the gentleman, " I have told you the history of my early life. You now receive a correct answer ,to the question which you put to me three years ago. Do x your remember ? Why I did not speak of my great love during the first visit I paid to Fairfield* You now know the reason, my dear one. Do you love -me less because of it ?" "Oh, no, Roland. I don't think whatever you might do or say could take away one atom of the love I bear you. As I think of your great trials and my. troubles I cannot help thinking of that little sentence Helen said to me." "«What was that my little wife V "A simple little sentence;— * Love conquers all.' " THE END.