THE HELPLESS BRITISHER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 146, 14 March 1908, Page 10

THE HELPLESS BRITISHER.

: The story .by .Mrs. . Stacy Waddy'ofSydney in/.tho'Mmpetixion of tho Exhibition •• of - Wbnieit-s' "Work, 11 ha's rteently beenpublished ■■ iri ; an Australian paper, aid has bc^i.read. with-'grKit'approvah .' It : is'a 'story?of. Australian... biish';life .told'.'in;'the lettots of: several'' peoples chief ; amohg ivhbm: 'are Richard Bell;-who is-just.starting' a .back 'counfcry/'dlaify 'farm/• Leila Bell/ his :.sister, arid' : Editha; Do : Putrori, 'a dcljcate English girl'who is sent ,to''.Australia for her health's safojf'and who 1 is : inado ;by ■ forcis 'of! circuiristSnceis a' visitor at. th& new farm;, whero'the' disgusted ; owner ."persists : in'y resentirigvthe preseribb of he"calls' a-Helpless'-Britisher: ■Thb 1 charm' if the story is l in tho' triumph "of ; 'thbV!towriio" who 'is; so.scbrried by 'tho 'effif' cieiit. country-fdltv . Editha is';dplicatb -but determined, .> and her; lottcirs -to her mp'thcr tell - liow first of . all she succeeds in patiently Trmung''''oiut' a ! 'hiigo-'sfciraip; tfifcli: has been aconstant' annoyance ,to tho workers; too' busy to iittabt it .'themselves; tli'bri : hoTT.wli&i her hostess, .falls ill; ' sho - takes ■ charge of' the hciusehold with, great success, and; then the folloTnng'yletter ■ from Leila ■ rtcbamte; the; deed that: completes the discomfiture of the disdainful; Dick. • The end 'of-thb story-may' bo' imagined/ and it-' is 1 entirely satisfactory.' • LETTER XVll:—Leila Bell to Mrs. Bell; ..' Dearest Mum,—We hare,, had ';;a. l .terrible night,, but ..through '.it safely, thanks;; to Editha;..who-h'as. sav«L Dice's life, arid.per-, haps.mapj •f9r )i I\.i^y;,;haTO. v sqrio.'if'.sho hadn't. not.coiipo, all-is goirig.wcll.. I, am ablo'.'to. be about,"agaiiiiioWj and to' niirso Dick. - -iv' v-i', . ii/r... ■ . t We..: have . foundput'lwherb' -the',-shot /tamo front-it. was .a, shbt .just, over; tho, lung-7-one of :.the .Mbrgai;bpys. at .tho n6xt,;faTm:,had a riflo' ; givefi, him.lie, w.ont out', £o .shobt; - pos-. wps rifling homo',. in.';; tllo ■ oVehifig. Tho.. boy. was and. rto; off, jraore" Dick could seo who 'it . ';T)jck': felt, jjho'iblbbd coining, and; lie rodp. hpmp as, fast as ho could,' fell .off. irij - iind''famted:;. I' tried;;to;.stop'^tjjb^bleedingj ' and, -could; not. arid ,wo-:wefe iri terror,that;ho .would 'bleed tovdeath: bofoi'o our' eybSi .v;At ? 'jast I found that ' by'-fioiding.; him , up'; and/, presisirig „iiiy. hand-over tho wound . it'}did 'nbt bleed 1 so much(.;':- ,-' ,'.■■<; v.-.,. .. ''VV.y'; I . "I'm'.'going to fetch-- Dr. Gbreii,"' Editha said,;.;;V; w ... ; ;-.::vv ...y >■'. •'. ;.'.'Ybu ; I answered; must...wait i till;Samv/cbnies, -back"f :i hb- was away,. with', the;cream.. "No, I-'am, going, now," she-persistod. i. '-'But you can ! t ride, ' "arid ■it is twenty' miles.' 1 .. ; |'I must walk lo Mer'amia, and drivo from iherp,, or send a message." .'. ' . ; ' . She went out. at thb door ; it wa'S dark arid rainy—the, rain we ; TO-rit«l so'badly conie at ■last. Then she carne (back,, arid-1 thought, she, had changed her 'mind.. ;'v, "Is thit' Dr. Gorbn's horse Dick was rid-> , ; ...- -' ./ ', ''Would .it know tho way, to. his house?" "Oh, yes,":l,.Said.' ; ■; ' .' - r . i , .Tlieri I will seo if it,will;takb me." ■ "Xou ; cari',£, IMitha'j" ■-I^'said,' ''yoii -have never: ridden a .hbr'so'in your life,- arid ,it .is pitch dark:'.': i.," 1 \f^e".a.''dpfikey - mcei_'/. ; sfie' &id,-,with 'alriibst brie of her laughing looks. . Then slio picked up one of tho wooden stools and went OUt.' , .•

: I was .left .alori'o . witii, Dick', ~ liopirig' t-tio bleeding would .stop, prayirig ' thiit. Bdith'a might not bo killed .lb was an iwful night -f—Rtill vsavfi■. for ; v the' ; drip, drip.' of. tho' ,rain. The. fi.ro went'out;. then the lamp flickered and (Keel lftffe in' the dark,hot daring to\roovo my .h'iind .from Dick.: I was just.-.th'inkiiig I could noi bear it any longer l when ; I' a. horse' galloping. It stopped, and Dr. Goreii oaiho in—l know his, voice: ;.;,-. Then ..1,-nearly. fainted,' .but not quite—there we're : things ,to do; lamps, to get, .the fire to be lighted, water ,and towels .to find, as soon as: iny stiff limbs would'movo. .] Tho'doctor was, quiekj a'nd"skilful; , I had ,■ h_°ld '!the ..light while ho probed'for.,tho bullet.: . I Heard'hirt sfiy/."Thahli .G&l, ■as hiT drew it ,cnit % THo fest<of-"tb6 wort .'was' simple; tho!' only dairigof then was tliit Dick inight. s'inlf after tlio' loss, of.-blood j ■ but ho is so strong, and his. healthy;lifo' helped.' Wo the doctor ffiado me take milk and*, braiidyi ' Ho put mo' in a chair by; ; the : firo, ffiiitid' a billy, aiid.mado tea,; and;then:l had tiinp'tb'.ialk-of Ediilia. All; tho.'i3pct6f_ifnew was" tbaii ji horse carflo clattering up to Kis housb iit 1 o'clock in, tlio morning,- 'and"a' voicft called him. Ho went d6w'ni :: aiid' fbund' Editha' clinging round tho horse's neck: She' almost fell iirtd his'arms,' and ho' 'caSied/her inside'. ■ "Go to Glonaljany" she saidj f!Dick is bleeding to' jiiiiid ino." So bo riiii round.'for.another. arid went;. ; She had iioVcr ridden beforoV arid.liow sho managed tt> stick in tho horse's back.l can't thmk. i: •r.sup'peso Dick, had:ll6ft. tho gat&s open:. , .chatted n ilLtlo while and,then ho gfive riie soinfe" directians about.Dick;said he tS j:otx and .send' Jklitha, back, / r/. But Sarri" canio ill .an hour; to ...attend to.' tho.-cowsj. so I 'wasrriot.so londlyi'-.;! Th'att i : ?;tho" history of tKo night/ 1 ' •