Stella:

Otago Witness, Issue 1340, 4 August 1877, Page 20

Stella:

A TALE OF TWO HEMISPHERES.

By Fabian Bell,

(Written for the Oiago Witness.) Part 11. Chapter IV.— Coals op Fire. The sun had set, but light lingered on the hills, and twilight in the valleys. Inside the digger's hut, the flickering and uncertain gleam of the fire was supplemented by that of a composite candle, stuck in the neck of a beer bottle. It was curious to see how much at home Stella looked among the incongruous surroundings. Her hat off, her riding Bkirfc looped up to a convenient length, she moved quietly about the hut, or lent over th,e patient ; changing the cold applications, soothing him with voice and touch, till he lay in a half trance, breathing heavily, shaken now and again by the cruel cough, but still quieter and more restful than he had been for days. The Chinaman, knees and nose to-, gether, bent over the fire, and watched the billy which was just on the point of boiling. His expressionless face showed absolutely no emotion, but there was a glance of cunning in the fishy eye with, which he occasionally regarded the graceful figure which had usurped his office of sick nurse. Walter and the Yankee spoke earnestly together outside the hut. They spoke of the invalid, of Stella, of their arrangements for the ensuing night. Waiter felt convinced that the lady, having once assumed her position as nurse, would not lightly yield it. Owing to the precautions he had taken, she was not so much fatigued by her ride as might have been expected, and she was much stronger in health since her residence at Waimara. Thus she could bear some extra fatigue, and he knew that she would not spare herself, while his profsssional knowledge warned him that her task would not be of long duration. The patient was in every respect worse than on the preceding day. Long Tom offered to make a partition of blankets across one part of the hut for Stella's accommodation. Walter shook bis head. " There is too little ventilation already," he said, and then he beckoned Stella to them. She at once negatived the digger's proposition, and declared that, for that sight at least, sleep would be impossible. ** Besides, I cannot leave my patient. See, he has missed me already." And indeed, whatever the cause, the restless movements and muttered cries had re-commenced, and the sick man would have thrown himself upon the floor, had not his mate restrained him by force.

By this time, the Chinaman, who had made the fire burn to his satisfaction, boiled a billy, and now offered Mrs Leydon a cup of tea, very strong and sweet, but of course without milk. She took it gratefully. Walter begged hsr to remain where she was in the soft grey twilight, and away from the vitiated air of the Jhnt ; and the digger quickly produced an impromptu repast — bread, butter, a box «f sardines and a bottle of Worcester ttaoce — and apologised for the scantiness of f&ejr resources, by Baying that he had «en£ " Johnny " to the nearest store on the previous day, and that the " yellow rascal 4*4 * had forgotten half his orders. "Oh please do not apologise," said £3tella ; "this bread and butter is delicious. .Surely this is not damper ? " The Yankee could not repress a Bilent iinward struggle of suppressed laughter, which shook his huge frame like a v«!cano on the eve of eruption.

"BleBS your innocence," he said at last, " it's tiie diggers in story-books who live on damper and such-like unwholesome fixins. We get white bread, and fresh butter when we can."

''And saucc3 at all times," remarked Walter. "I have heard rather a good story of a party of would-be explorers, ■who had reached a spot which they fancied no other human being had ever trod. The leader was about to give a sounding name to the newly-discovered tract, when his eye caught the glitter of some object in the bush. He went towards it, and found — alas! for his vision of fame — an empty Worcester sauce bottle."

The digger applauded this story, and •told how he had known men in far-off rremote districts, who, when their small .stock of spirits was exhausted, would ■drink hot sauces or even Pain Killer. "This induced him to speak of the lonely jlife some men lead, especially the sheplierds in Australia ; and how it preys upon their mental health, until many are "half cranky," and others hopelessly insane. In simple but forcible language he described the awful solitude of the wild ranges, the solemn stillness unbroken fey the voice of man, the alow monotony •at the " idly busy " days, when heart iaad brain having no legitimate occupaTtioti, feed upon the past and madden at !the retrospection. "It is better to be. a •digger," was the burden of his talk ; and he defended himself, as one who feels rthat&e i» open to criticism. Stella drank her tea and appeared to Iliaten, !b*afc her real thoughts were far :away. The sick man uttered a piercing .shriek, -she -was by his side in a moment.

"Gh God !" he yelled. " There is blood .upon my hands and all over me. Let me Tiide the axe. Quick ! quick ! he is dead, •quite dead, murdered ! Who said mur•dered? not I. It was an accident I say. A iinere accident. Sophy ! don't you believe ijne. It was Mark who did it. Ha ! ha ! iha ! " A violent fit of coughing now came

on. Stella supported the burning head, and when it was over, administered a soothing draught which Waiter had prepared ; then she re-arranged the pillow, and put on another wet bandage. . The loud cries sank into muttered ravings. " Swear to be true and secret, Sophy. I love you. Of coursejl love you ; but you must tell no one. If you do, I will never see you again. Never." Then ensued an interval of comparative silence, followed by wild and incoherent cries. Twilight faded away, and the solemn darkness of night crept like a pall over the tired earth.Stella looked at her watch, it was halfpast ten. She wound it up, and showed the dial to Walter. The Chinaman now retired to his own apartment — a small canvas tent in the rear of the sod hut. The digger wrapped himself up in a blanket, and lay down on the warmest side of a huge boulder, assuring Walter that he much preferred sleeping in the open air ; that he was dead-tired, but should wake up in' a moment if wanted. Then he lighted his pipe and puffed away vigorously, and as he did so his eyes gradually closed ; his lips opened, and his pipe — being a good homely briar, and not an aristocratic meerschaum — slid to the ground and sustained no damage. Stella begged Walter to foliow Long Tom's example, and take a few hours' rest on the spare bunk, protesting that she was neither sleepy nor afraid, and that she could call him in a moment if she felt nervous. But he utterly refused to lie down. However, as the night wore on, the fatigue of the last few days began to make itself felt, and, in spite of all intentions to the contrary, the young man fell asleep in a most cramped, uncomfortable posture as it seemed to Stella, but nhe saw by his face that he was resting. She was now — to all intents and purposes — alone with the dying man. Her courage rose. She felt that some crisis, whether for good or evil, was at hand. The patient seemed to be sinking into a kind of lethargy. She continued the cold applications, changing the lotion as it grew warm, and administering from time to time a spoonful of food or medicine. He constantly addressed her as Sophy, and spoke in low, half -inarticulate mutterings. • Stella glanced at her watch. The hands pointed to the first hour after midnight. She walked to the] doorway, and looked out upon the crystal clearness of the still night. The sky was of that intense bltte which we are apt to call black, yet the clearly defined outline of the hills proved the true colour. Nearly in the zenith the five stars of the Southern Cross sparkled like living gems. As she looked at them Stella recalled the words of Mark's letter, in which he spoke of " the Pole Star, firm and steadfast," and compared it to herself.

" Stella ! my own, my guiding star !" Was it fancy, or were those words really borne to her ears on the sighing breath of the soft night wind 1

" Mark ! Mark 1 where are you 1" she cried, stretching her arms out, and then she smiled at her own folly, and turned back into the hut.

She replenished the dying fire, lighted another candle, and sat down to watch.

The sick man was certainly quieter, bis head and limbs were less burning. At two o'clock a cool moisture was apparent on the palms of his hands, and the cough was' much less violent.

Stella thought that these were good symptoms ; that Walter had perhaps been mistaken ; and that the patient might recover after all.

He was certainly asleep. She got up, and bent over him to watch him more closely.

It was three o'clock — the hour before dawn, the hour when the vital force is lowest, when a strange chill creeps over the sleeping earth, when the wind rises sighing and moaning over the ebbing tide on. distant sea-beaches, when the living draw their wraps round them and shiver, when the dying let go their hold on life, and slip away like the ebbing tide from hands that would fain grasp them, and hold them a little longer, only a little longer. Stella bent over her patient. All at onee — as one awakes out of a pleasant sleep — he opened his eyes aud looked at her. There was no delirium in that look. Nothing to startle or alarm, but only a calm, quiet recognition, that seemed so natural at the time that it was not until long afterwards that Stella discovered how strange it had been. He spoke. In the deep stillness of the night she heard his tones clearly, though they were low and broken. " Stella Leydon. is that you?" "Yes." " Strange. I thought you would come. Where is Mark ?" " I do not know." " He is looking for me," and then the whole expression changed and hardened, and with a low chuckle that was perfectly revolting he added, "I shall cheat him after all." ] Stella turned away. The sick man tried to lift himself to recall her. The movement brought on a fit of coughing, and he fell back nearly senseless. She ran to his side, and lifting his head supported it upon her arm. He gasped and struggled for breath. It was strange that Walter did not wake, but he lay still breathing easily. " Water," gasped the sick man. Stella gave him some water and then

some wine. The stimulant revived him. He spoke again. " I have been very ill." " You are very ill," was the emphatic answer. . j He did not notice the emphasis, and what it implied. " And you have been my nurse 1" "For a few hours. Yes." , " Strange ! Why did you come. It is fate !" "No, it is God who sends you one more chance of repentance," said Stella, firmly. 'He was silent for a moment trying to collect his thoughts. " Do you believe the Bible ?" "Certainly, I do." " I did once. There is something in it about coals of fire. You know what I mean." Stella did know what he meant, but she did not repeat the text. " Did you come here for thatf" t It was a difficult, a terrible question to answer. She was conscious that her motives in coming to the hut had not been those of pure, unmixed compassion ; and yet, from the moment that she began to minister to the dying man, her feelings had undergone a marked change. The desire for vengeance had died out of her, heart. He watched her face. "I am Mark Leydon's enemy. I hate him !" She quivered and drew back a step. " You hate him because you have injured him. He has never injured you. You have driven him from home and country ; from all that he loves. You have made him a wanderer on the face of the earth, and all for what? That he may bear the burden of your crime, and shield you from the consequences of your sin. Will you die with that lie upon your soul V She spoke with such indignant confidence, that he fancied she must know all, or' most of the circumstances that connected him and Mark ; whereas, in truth, she knew nothing. "Fate was too strong for me," he moaned, and then was silent through sheer weakness. She offered him some more wine, and stood by in breathless suspense. The moments were creeping on. In the far east the soft rosy glow of dawn was tinging the grey clouds, but in the gully it was still night. " Confess, confeaa !" murmured Stella. " If I refuse, shall you leave me to die alone V "As God is my witness, no !" she answered, without a moment's hesitation. He was conquered. " Say you forgive me." " In Mark's name and in my own I forgive you, as I hope myself to be forgiven." He shut his eyes, and lay so still that Stella, with an awful pang, thought " can he be dead, and the secret still untold." . But no ! He began to mutter what seemed at first unconnected sentences, which had no bearing on the subject. Then he spoke more distinctly, and she understood that he was giving her directions to find something.

• " Look in the wall, two feet to the left of the door. One of the sods is loose, take it out ; take out the dried fern at the back, and then ." He spoke no more ; a stupor as of death fell upon him. In vain she entreated and implored ; in vain she besought him to answer her ; to explain his meaning ; to confess ; to atone before it was too late. She spoke to deaf ears.

The silence, which no earthly sounds could avail to break, had closed around the dying man. He could not hear her.