CHAPTER XXXII.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3101, 22 September 1899, Page 6

CHAPTER XXXII.

UPS AND DOWNB. The course of Mr. and Mrs. Trenoweth _ iife.'whtn they started along it together, did not appear to bave many thorns upon It. Fortune had undoubtedly been kind to the young man, and the worst trials of his lifts were apparently past. He was exceedingly wealthy, and his kerne —or, rather, 1 his chief Home—at Launceetos was one of the finest in the whole Island. ▲ good deal of their time was occupied in visits to Melbourne and to Cape Barren Wand. Nothing wonld induce Mr. and Mrs.Byan la leave that bleak spot. It had become en. deared to them in some unaccountable fashloa, and there tbey decided to live and -die. •;; -""■■ " One year succeeded another without be* lag marked by any event of unusual import' •MS. •■„./' .

the first cloud— if it could be called a cloud— took place in the Utter end of the year 7 880. This wee the death of the old schoolmaster. - '.''■'"' '| It had been 'expected for some time, for the 'old .man had been gradually fading out of life. ? 7, . ... The hours of his existence ebbed slowly awayi and those he loved best were gathered round -is.death-bed. For weeks previously The Flinders was at' anchor in the. little bay, and his daugh-: ter,' with her husband and family, were with |him.| '' ■• ! j His end, aif might have been expected, was peace*; aid «sbsjs they laid him in the; little rude cemetery overlooking the South - I crn Ocean every person on the island knew thatthey had lost their best aiid most disinterested friend. 7 A I..XA iv .:.. : i Trenoweth and his wife tried hard to in-i dues the widow to accompany them to : their Launceston home, -but she would not go. "My place is here. I promised him I would be: with him even unto the fast, and I: could not be happy away from the spot," she said. It was futile to try and shake her determination. Beyond an occasional visit to Launceston and one to Melbourne, she would not leave the place that bad been her home for so many years. In the beginning of 1883 a rumor reached Edward Trenoweth which caused bis memory to suddenly awaken from the long trance which had enchained it. Away in the far west of New South 'Wales, neat the border of South Australia, came the news of the finding of silver ore in immense quantities. A full description of the locality was given and, as Trenoweth looked again on his treasured piece of ore, the buried past became revealed and he saw what had been so long hidden from bim, Tbe great silver lode on which he fainted had been no mere vision, conjured up by a startled and distorted imagination, but a reality. i He had long since told his wife tbe story ' of his wanderings, and when he read the report of tbe new find he decided not to be ! left out of the discovery. He invested largely in the original Proprietary Company-and in a few years bis income from silver was as large as that from tin. When Broken Hill was fairly started, be could not resist the temptation to pay the place a visit. What a wonderful change there was, to be sure t In place of the frightful wilderness, tenanted by a handful of blacks, the district swarmed with bustling life. There were twenty thousand people clustered around thoss rugged heights on which he had so nearly perished. The roar of great machinery sounded day and night, and a pall of smoke from the furnaces and smoke-stacks hung darkly over the place. A city had grown up as if by magic out of tbe desolat.on.and a railway had just been completed, forming through communication with Adelaide. Three newspapers were being published daily, and all the adjuncts of civilization were present. Hotels jostled each other at the street corners, and churches lifted their spires heavenwards. Trenoweth mounted one of the highest peaks of the range and took a long survey of the surrounding country. He fancied he could see in the blue distance the volcanic peak from which he first caught sight of the Barrier. He almost thought he descried the deep watercourse, on Ihe banks of which he made the unpleasant discovery of the dead body. He had brought the piece of ore with him and compared it with that on the bill. It was identical, and he had no doubt but that the man had found it on the Barrier Range. There were some pleasant surprises for him at Broken Hill to compensate for the sad thoughts whion certain associations revived.* The first day in tbe place he met a grizzled aboriginal, and the recognition was mutual. He had no difficulty in telling that it was his friend, Kallakoo, though bow the keen eyes of the latter recognised him Trenoweth could not say. Yet the moment the black met him he knew who stood before him. Eagerly he pointed to the particular part of the lode where he had found Trenoweth lying, and by signs expressed his satisfaction at the meeting. Edward was no less pleased to see bis duiky friend, and in every possible way he tried to show his high appreciation of the old man's great kindness to him in the | past. He elicited from the townspeople that Kallakoo only paid occasional visits to the place, and then he almost invariably came alone. He had a sort of intuition thst contact with the white man was fatal to his race, and he kept bis handful of followers away from danger. Trenoweth saw the black many times before he left for his camp, and though he wished to make bim some useful presents the old fellow did not seem to care for anything save tobacco. Trenoweth gave him a supply of the best procurable — not " sbeepwash " — and he could do no more. The third day that Edward was on the Hill he was walking down Argent Street, when he was bailed by a hearty voice calling : " Hello, mate 1" j The tone bad something familiar in it, and, turning round, he was confronted by "Jack "Long. The whilholm manager of Poole Station was a 3»ttle more bronzed than when Trenoweth last saw him, twelve years previously, but otherwise there was very little change. " Mr. Long I How glad lam to see you 1 How do you do?" Edward gasped, seizing his hand and shaking it warmly. 11 Bo am I to meet you. old man I But what are you doing up here ?" replied Long. «' I have an interest in the Proprietary, and I thousrbt I should like to see tbe distriot once again. You know I was here once before." j " Yes, by Jingo I Of course, I recollect now. If was here tbat Kallakoo picked you up. Pretty different place now to what it was at that time. What an extraordinary j change, eh 2" J

"** Yep ; it is ' •exlarbf.'iiiai I D> j 1 '." know; -Long, '"] Where bur f fiend. .RHl'ako • found me*"' "No, I don't know the spot exactly :Anywbere hear i" - : ''. '■'' l«Yee; he found me,, lying in a .fainting fit, just on the big lode there . Edward answered, pointing to the Proprietary lease. -.-'■. '-77 AA-': 7 • "That is a very singular thing; .But did you not knqwrthere. was silver thereat tbe time ? You ought to have known, being a miher." : ; ' :: ~ ' " I bad a-sbrt of dim knowledge of It for all those years r but I- could never get the exacts facts into a proper focus until I read of the finding of -the lode ; then it all seemed to come back; to me. The whple affair is most singular. But.by the-by, what might you be doing here T" Trenoweth abruptly asked. ■■:'■ ••-• '■ Like yourself, I've got an interest in the big raine.Several of the station hands around are interested here you know. We did not live in the wilderness so long without knowins; something, acd when the hews first reached us about the silver we came down. We were in time to pick up something good, I can assure you," Long smilingly replied. "I am very glad to hear it, my friend. A few years' life in the interior should be quite enough for any ordinarily constituted man, 1 ' So the conversation went on, and the two friends decided to make a tour of the neighborhood next day. Trenoweth particularly wanted to ride over to the volcanio hill and to the side of tue dry oreek where he bad got the piece of ore in so tragic a manner. Long was pleased with the idea, is riding across country was just in his line. Next morning they secured a ccnple of goo 1 horses and started. Edward felt the huge difference between that journey and the one he had made thirteen years before. Well mounted, and with a companion like Long.it was a real pleasure trip. It was noon before they reached the eieek which Trenoweth knew so well. He had often seen it in his dream 3. The tall cliffs, which jutted up at a particular spot, were a gride to the men, and they soon reached the place where the dead man had lain. There waß no sign of the skeleton, but a little mound close by showed whsre burial had be'jn given it. With the rush that had taken place when the silver was first discovered, the remains could not have lain lons- without attracting attention. The district for fifty mileß around had been thoroughly pr-jspeeted, and no doubt some one of the parties had decently buried the skeleton. Leaving the horses tethered at the foot of the hill, the travellers made the m-cent, and once again Trenoweth had a view from the summit. Tne crater still contained water, and, descending to it, the iriends tasted it. It was almost aa bitter as gall, and Trenoweth wondered how he had ever managed to ge* it down. It was evening before Broken Hill was reached, and next dav Trenoweth took train for Adelaide. He first extracted a promise from Long that he would visit him on the fir3t fay.... able opportunity, and then the friends separated. Wuen Trenoweth reaches! Melbourne Barr had some information for him in the shipsof a letter. When Edward broke the seal he v-a? astonished to find that it was from Mrs. Simps on, who was even then residing in Melbourne. The k-tter was a pathetic one, revealing a married life of terrible misery Inez had been a widow for more than a year, but the release had been a happy one for her. Simpson bad been killed through falling down a shaft at the Temora diggings. lie had turned out an utter rascal, leading his wife, whom he had married under false pretences, a terrible life. Sue had been left quite penniless, having to earn a precariouß livlihood as a '• ladies' companion." She wrote to Treuoweth, not for sympa tby, but to express the feeling that she bad been rightly served. Trenoweth showed the letter to Barr, and then said : " I think I was somewhat to blame in tbis matter. I remember you told me so on shipboard. Don't you think I should help her?" " How can you do so V "If she liked to go back to St. Oolumb's Oove, the old house is still there and only John Ptngelly and his wife in it. I could settle an annuity upon her," replied E Iward. "I rather like that idea, Edward," answered Barr. The latter conducted the negotiations.and so it was decided tbat Inez should return— a waif once more — and take possession of the old Trenoweth borne. Edward settled a competency on her; and, a couple of years after, when he with bis wife and family visited St. Columb's Gove, they found her thoroughly contented with her lot. The people of the little village had cause to bless that visit, for the Silver King was royal in his benefactions. He visited the little cemetery where his parents were buried, and breathed a prayer for their happiness. Edward Trenoweth has long since got out of the Wake of Fortune and, blessed with riches, and what is even greater— happiness he is content to go down the stream of life holding out the hand of help to all in need. WF 22 THB END.