SHORT STORY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 116, 8 February 1908, Page 10

SHORT STORY.

A LIFT ON THE WAY.

George Shannon could not explain why on that particular October • morning a shadow should strike across the faco of his wife, as he said good-bye on the verandah of their pretty homostead. It ( was only a' sudden' drift of cloud across tlio sun,' but both she, and he stood in gloom.for a .moment. The whole landscape darkened, too. He was not superstitious enough to heed the spilling of salt or the breaking of a mirror; but ho did not want to turn away from the. house on the hill until the siin.shone out again. ... ; So, although the covered cart was waiting, and 'Jim, tho handy l infill of the Tarm/'had' whistled the dogs up to go" with 1 their master, ho lingered., . . . ' "Place is looking'ship-shape .now, ell, Jenny?" : he said., "Thoso oats in ,the far paddock will bo coming on all right after all." / , \ -'A change in ten years, George,!' replied the: wife,: still a young-woman, with a faco of sweetness and contentment. Sho lobked across the acres of cultivated land, rich with promise' for the coming season, and drew a' breath of thankfulness; "But all from your own littlo patch to begin with, Jenny. V'Yburs was tho very centra of what the farm.;has grown iinto. Here, on this spot, stood tfie-jslab-hnt." "Ah! and who made.it gray? But don't talk about the hut and. those times, George!, it—it—makes me : ; t„ "There, there, little- woman," he said, hastily. "You're right, the present is tho thing. Where .ire the young fry? Here!" ho cried, raising his voice into' a'cheerful roar. "Jack, Mabel, and you, Cissy, I'm away now. Good-bye till' to-night. and, keep Jyour mother chirpy." V ..y,V There was a,, scamper ; of: flying foot, and to a chorus of childish- voices l Shannon drove off. At tho turn :of ■ tho, road lie got a glimpse of his wife still, watching him beneath the hand shading her, eyes. ■ t

Business orrands and friendly meetings in the township fillod in tho day, and dusk was closing in when Shannon brought his tired horse to a'walk at. the foot of a long hill, still five miles from home. •'* The cart was well .loaded;. but slowly as. the .beasts travelled they 'overhauled a bent figure, swag on back toiling -up-tho rise'. V. v. V, ■ When the vehlclo got abreast of 1'; him the tramp looked round.); His was the -pinched, worn face 9f a maii past middle lifo.'i So much Shannon could see in'the imperfect .'light. He ;ciiild not' search'.-for. what !marks of character lurked/in : the'shiftyr.oyes'' and hawk-like features.'' .Shabby, dust-covbred clothes and tired ,limbs were' other . signs him draw rein.' •.

"Far to go?" . . Vy ■ "That depertds; ; Maybe a few miles. Maybe on till I walk into-the sea or somewhere a man can bo warmer." ( • Ho coughed with'a 'rending sound that Shannon knew.:: The fellowHvas not old—riot much, older than himself, perhaps—but ill; "Climb i in;" ho < said, shortly. "You .■'can have a lift along for'a lew miles." ' "' When the -man was- seated; with "a mumbled word of thanks ho gavo a groan of satisfaction.'' . ' -•■■ !' ' ■" •,: i "You dbn't look too fit. just riow/' s, re'marked: Shannon. "Have' you got a..jpb I jtQ,go. :to, i( pr are you on tho;look out?" "Looking .out; 'and 'hereabouts-./in,.ypartQ pillar.'.. But not. for'; work put for what';! m'ayii't'find.". . "Ho'w.ldo you nieau?''.> ~"I - iised. to;live iri ( ,th,eso\parts,'Aysaicj., the: man;' .eyeing : tho .scenery... almost, ' furtively.', "But it was a tidy, few, years ago, and things most likely .have ,changed." . ■ "You ..may. reckonon, that,'' if tfcion-, long away; but. the land's, tho ■ same, .'.'only.' with a bit more, dono to it."./,' , "All 1 so I expect.',, There; was a comfortable little crib now,' on what wo uscd' to calL Patten's' Hill,-" ; ' . , V Shannon': gavb t; 'a'suddon. jerk'(tb-'thd'rbins,', and ' tho: librses'' sha'ihbled l into' an 'iimvilliijir trot. ' "'v; '. "You romeniber' that ?",' ho ' asked; 1 , ', That : is'..a longi^h'"while ' ago. 1 don't".call' you to mind while,' I've; been ih'tho district." ' ."Not likoly you '.would.":. 'It's' 13 'years' back." - ;,. ' '■ . ; ', r'-

"Thirteen years!;' Well, there was-a-lint' on'Patten's'Hill later' than that; ' Biit' it's not there now." , : ,: . "Probably Jsbldj'- f raay6c,'.'' .said;"'the irian, With a ' nbto' of ; more 'than casual interest 'in' his' voice,'' or so it' seemed to' Shannon; • ; '' '. He made' 'an indirect' reply'. ■■ ; i "There-. WaV only a • pocket-handkerchief'. allotment,',' he said, and' it belonged to' a Vast&r :who : hor- • rowed thd. fcw pounds it was 'worth '.arid' then 'cleared out—for good, improved' afterwards. 1 Patten was .a drunkeir'follow, and 110110' too . straight;;. He left, his-young wife' to. starve, and,; luckily,' they say, ,'ifter 'a,year. or two's desertion;' lie loft her a widow. The district dul not miss him." •

"No," 'said the man, apathetically, nuramg his swag as if it.,were a trcasurdd'possession. ' '.'I daresay not'./;But'jt-could'nt. have been much/ chuck 111 .-.for him.living in that bare :shanpy, witlnnbtliiiig, to''do but hoe a few potatoes to feed two'on:" "What do you know of what ho did, or could have done?" • • ;

•. ; "Well," said ■_ the swagman, turning Va piece of tobacco in his..chcekl "It so happens that I am Patten." 'V

This time Shannon'did . not ; 'jog the roins, A. numbness had.'-seized' him,^-and -,-it was some moments/ before, his,: ioicp leturned. Then it was.hpt 'uhder 'gciod cbntroirpv'i folks to behove -that,.v after .all those years?"- ho said; roughlv. ■ ''Whv news canio'.rthat Pjitten's body ';:, v bben ; found rotting 111 a' lagoon away, tip : north;": f' 'It weren't my .booy," said the man sullenly. ; -r 1: :

' "You never sent-word to your wife." over , any doing that if ' I liad -nofchiugj rejoined,tile other. Has sho gotthe -little crib still That's I thought I'd '.travel along' this road to see., • Not that' I want anything more •than - d -spell for\ a bit' till I can get up,.-my>strenfeth, and be rid of this plaguy cough-.".;' AHo struck his chest fretfully. - 1 . . .; ■ •• . There was a pause,-'during which the grinding of the waggon wheels and the'ring;of the hoofs on the roadway were.ithe, only, sounds. Then the owner of the vehicle 'resumed the conversation. v.. vi;-. "»'sbee» 110; one going by tilV.'iiame x °f ,011 there for many a yoar," he said slowly, ana there's no hut where Patten's stand; not a sign of one." ' "No!" replied the man in a tono of'.disappointment-. i "Well, I suppose , I might have expected'that. Who has the place now?" ' "People namod Shannon, I .believe.; and' it s a big place." Tho reply was given ill carofulj measured 'tones. ' So far as [ know th ? y ,T° een there for ten years 'or .'more." '■ 'Ah 1 then Jenny didn't stay thero long after I—after I was took." Tbero appeared an evil-grin on the countenance of the wanderer as he spoke. It was the voice of one who jeered, not regretted. "Ever hear what became of lior?" • , -; "Became of fvhom?" "Of Jenny, jny wife." ' From tho. long silence Shannon wrestled hard with himself before 110 spoke. Had the light been better thero could have been 6een boads of perspiration 011 his white face, in spito of tho cool, ovening air. "It's a protty thing for you to ask news of 'from a stranger," lie said, grufliy,. "Whore should a woman drift to who is left as yon left her, to. hunger and loneliness? Who is to say what part, of, the world she, has found shelter in if ,vou don't know?" "It's like this," said Patten, surlily. "I've boon, out of tho country all tho while till a fow weeks back. Only put, into port here in a wind-jammer, by tho luck of it. . Wo'vo been doing tho South' American run for tho Spaniards most of the time. - Trading out of Cadiz wo was. And back .there wo'ro going in ,a few days. \ But; being. horo I made it up to have a ..look, round'for tho placo and Jenny." .- ."The placo will be thore, 110 doubt," replied Shannon shortly. "Mayho'then these Shannons who have it now, you say, can give mo some word of-her. It's-a shot worth trying anyhow." - "Try it." , ■... ' No more was said then; but Shannon drove

on in a whirl of emotion. Whether the predominant one was rage or terror he could not'rightly judge. Both swayed' him alternately. But presently both seemed to harden into a cold fixity of purpose —a determination which had not. yet taken definite' shape.\ Every sidelong glance lie; took at tho man beside him caused an inward shiver; under the impulse of which his hand and his toatli clenched tight.' This creature, treacherous, selfish, brutalised, was tho lawful husband of the woman lie had bidden adieu to that morning; the woman 'wlio was' now waiting his return, radiant, with-her bairns about her knees. What- bitter knowledgo, what, horrible fato was he bringing nearer to her and to them with every turn'of'tho wheel!.

That thought caused him again to check tho horses. Was he to 'be the one to help tjiis hound along tho road, to assist him to the very threshhold of the home lie was going to make desolate?'. Why had lie not tumbled tho fellow out upon' the stones the moment he declared his idontity? Was it too late now? No, by heavens!— — Ho turned! swiftly. The man had his face avortcd, and-whs-rolling his head in'wonder, "Well, well," he ■ mumbled, "altered a bit. my oath." '

They' were at the foot of the .rise, called fattori's Hill; in a few minutes would come into view on'the crown'of-it tho smililig homestead which: Shannon • had left n few hours earlier. It; seemed a lifetime /now.

Without move of his body ho 'slipped ono hand into, tho cart behind him. ' Ho drew it gently back, grasping the' stout, heavyheaded stick which was his companion always/ when .lie went about his paddocks on foot. He felt no doubt -nor conflict now; only , a clear: and steady purpose. < i The horses strained forward; the bend of tho hill was rounded,- and; there, high upon the left, was the. glimmer of lights. ; They shone ,from. tho. sitting-room, where supper would bo ready. :Thnnk goodness the night had: grown chill,, and. there would bo none of:,tho children down by/the fence to listen for tho cart. . .. ■ • .!.

: "Could yer pull up, mate, for a jiff ? There used to bo a short cut up to the ■ top from about.hore." - ; . - .-!?•

Tho horses .came to a standstill, ;aiid he got out stifilv; staring, round; like one dazed.': "These, Shannons,, do.they farm:.-all this land round here?",',. ~ ....-/.

He received no answer, .for .Shannon was on theground, at the -opposite, sido' ; of' tho vehicle, busy with the brake. • •

Still muttering to himself, the man moved to. the hedge-side,, and began fumbling- with the latch of an: ornamental gato. ; He did not notice-the figure; that sprang , after him',, swiftly and noiselessly,: into , tho ; shadow.: Sli:ui uon, couseioiis now .of nothing, except ft primitive passion,, crouched low, and gripped his c.udgel-fiercely. •Tho gate , yielded,, and before it had swung to behind, the: first, figure, . Shannon's hand' was.strotchcd out to prevent the clang of itsclosing.,'- ,j : -. - .. ■ ... .When. ;ho, turned -to follow,' Fatten was already-hidden by tho dwarf pines that bordered, tho pathway. But Shannon plungedamong the shrubs,; and in a. few moments was again on the heels of .his quarry. Although, thero wa's'.iyet two hundred, vards. and: .more to. tho Jiouse,. this, man : liad "gone far enough, curse , Ho should go no further. A furious hand had- already swung back to Yaise. the weapon i it .held wlien.tho wandorer's ,feet faltered. Ho 'stopped, :and again shook, his: head slowly ~as: lie took' in i the outline of ...trim,, lawns: and ..shrubbery' l and: white.glistening rails. . After a few-se-conds hesitation.: he : turned;. and . with- uncertain, steps made.again; towards the gate;' - In- tliO:' road Shannon .was* fumbling,-with - a tract; when the man"-'slouched into- view.-Uigaiiv.-:-His hftrids.trembled so. violently-that. ;heycould.not have ; 'grasped -just-, then 'whip or reins.-. -i • ~ . .. .v:'

', ' .said.'• the .wanderer,- .in■•husky,- .gruiiibling tones;', "is tooj:toffy;- I guess,-to; go.t. much-; out'-of.for asking. ,]) .. ;'on»,.:. Tliolold crib is gone right enough, as you said. .Are : you going. on further, .mate.?"; "Another, .milo]., or. two," said. Shannon, ;.noarly.-choking-'with.the-,effort-to. speak. He 'named)theipoint-of- the .nearest.orpss-road.-.''TJiat'.ll. .put ma a-.goodish. .liit O-on-,tlioi way." ,• .; .; y .vy^n,: ;. "Ybii'jl be within a -two. hours' tramp.'.of ■Kitchen's Siding.. You could get rail there • down to your- -ship, if., that's,..wliere:.y,6u!re ■ heiidjng;.to,'",'ys' '" ~','''.'.7 ' V.- v -5' "Ay, rail," likely : enough," ..said.',tho man,; "if T;had the.-'stuff. to pay., for it.'.' ;''''®anriQn , - - -Blaiip^.:tbe.jpr^t ( 'of.iiisv.cMt.' .:"l'.y6 got/ a" pocket-b00k,".. ho. stiidj "and I. didn't do "so baldly ' at., ma'rkqt. to-day.. , You : . caii. hayo'.you'r' faro down,, anyway; perhaps ■ something -.'more 1 .-"'.' , " '-VV..■''- ' "There am't • much mord,'-' that. would",; be any. good to mo 'for, long,",replied ,thb,.'other,, shaken again witli a' racking cough.. "But .■you're-a'dccent' sort, 'mate.." .. :' .-.v.' ' .Tho! cart, nipyedi on until ',the. lights 'on ithb .hill '.' behind''.wero ;' hidden. - —F.C. A., in.'.the. "Australasian.", y' :