Chapter IV.

Otago Witness, Issue 2130, 20 December 1894, Page 8

Chapter IV.

" She loves me 1 She loves me 1

At length one day about the middle of February, when lie had boen some six weeks an inmate of Duucan M'Lean's farm, a letter came for Hawkston. All that morning he walked moodily about the garden in deep thought, and after the midday meal he said to Jess :

" Come dov/n to the clump by the creek, Joss, whon you are ready ; I will stroll down before."

The sun was shining brightly, and all Nature seemed joyous and blythe — the larks were singing gladly In the sky, and great humble bees clothed in black velvet and gold buzzed past* flashing like topazes in the brilliant sunlight; but to Ilawkston the day appeared clouded and dull — ihe sunlight, had gone out or his life — as with hanging head he slowly walked through the graa*y paddock sloping gently to the oreek. The oows were either lyiugin the shade lazily chewing the cud or standing knee-deep in the cool waters of the merry sparkling brook when he reached the clump of silver birches with thr«« or four bluegnmy, and one noble willow stretching its long hanging limbs over tho water. Hawketon threw himself down at fall length on the cool green grass in the shade, still occupied with his thoughts to wait for Joss.

He had not long to wait ; in a few minutes Jess, clad in a cool, cri«p cotton print, ooold be seen tiipping acroaa the paddock singing joyously to herself, carrying her work in one hand and the book they were then reading together in tbe other. Upon reaching Hawkston she seated herself a few yards above him and handed him the book.

" No, Jese, I can't read ; I want to talk."

Quickly she glanced at him, and seeing that something was wrong the joyouuneas died out of her face and it sobered all over.

" I have a letter," said Hankston, looking down at his boot as he spoke, " from Oaptain Forsyth. He will be here at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning to take me away." After waiting a moment and getting no reply he qnickly looked up. The girl was sitting with white blanched face — white to the lips, her large dark eyes, wide open, staring through him and past him with unmeaning gaze. "Jess! Jessica! My darling, don't look like that."

Still she neither moved nor epoko, but sat gazing into tbe blank future. Springing from his teat he threw himself on the ground by her side and put his arm around her.

"Don't, don't, Jess! Don't look like that."

Slowly consciousness returned at his touch, and gently putting aside hii arms she removed some two or three yards away.

" Jews I" he cried, " you do feel this parting as much as I do. Don't you, Jess ? "

" I never thought of this 1 I never thought of this 1 " she faintly whispered, whilst large tearß began slowly to course down her cheeks. Hawkttton had made no attempt to approach her again ; he simply turned and fixed bis gaze upon her, and pressing his elbows on tue grass ho drew himself a little nearer, but very gently, so as not to alarm h»r. "Jess l you know," he said, in thickened accents as he felt his heart quickly beating— " you know I love you." •• Oh, don't say that 1 That only makes it all the harder to bear."

" Harder to bear 1 Why, what do you mean, Jess. Don't you want me to lov« you ? " " What's the good of it 1 " she cried. "We must part, and it is the harder to part if I know you really do love me." " Why shotdd we part thus, Jess 1" "Why? Because you are a gentleman born and bred, and, for all I know, with plenty of money. And I !— I am only a poor little maid of all work."

By this time Hawkston had gradually worked himßelf up until he v»as close to th« girl. Seizing her reund the waist with both arms he drew her close.

" Jess I my darling t in my eyes you are fit to mate with any nobleman in the land"s and after looking down for a moment into her eyes, he pressed his first kiss on her lips. For a few minutes Bhe lay quite stiU, her head on bis breast, and then, rousing herself, she pushed him away and tried to release herself from his arms.

" Ob, no, no I You are kind and good to think of mo, but you don't consider. What will your grand friends and relations say to you ? Wnaf will you feel y*ars hence when you find yourself tied to a poor unoducatefl girl who is shunned by all your lady friendfl I Then you will regret— you will feel you were carried away by your feelings, and it would be wicked of me to accept your sacrifice;. No I no IMr Hawkston. Even If It cost ma happineas— life— everything, it Is better J should die than bring all this trouble on you." Quietly. with a smile on his face, he had

the poor wretched beggars which crowded the hotel compound and railway station. Their influential letters of introduction opened to them the jealous circle of the heaven-born in the highest quarters at Simla, and when tired of the weak imitation of London life on the Himalayas they turned to the East once more. They had admired with awe the thousand temples of Benares on the banks of the sacred Ganges, and had together held their nosea as they passed through the narrow, dirty, stinking streets of the same Holy City, until finally they quitted the city of sham palace? (Calcutta) together for Singapore, Java, and Brisbane, and had at length found themselves, half their journey round the world accomplished, at the antipodes in Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, with the oords of affection between them drawn closer than ever, not only from association, but from the fact that the younger had learned to look up to the elder as mentor and guide as well ag triend.

A fortnight was spent in visiting all that was to be seen, including a trip to the Head of the Lake, whore they gazed with interest on hoary Monnt Earnslaw, but made no effort to reach hie glaciers, as an ascent of the still grander Mount Cook was a part of thoir programme. T Ley had climbed Ben Lomond as a gentle breather, walked to Arthur's Point to see the gorge where the Shotover burst through as a raging torrent, and, in fact, had seen all that they were advised as being worthy of a visit, and now, after saying farewem to all who had assisted to make their stay pleasant, they had engaged a buggy and driver and started for the loog-looked-for journey to Mount Cook, via Lakes Wanaka and Hawea.

One day night had overtaken them whilst still some three or four miles from the goldfield township where they proposed to sleep. They had delayed starting after their midday dinner, and had further had the misfortune to break a portion of thoir harness. Under ordinary circumstances this would not have greatly mattered during the long Bummer daye, but one of the sharp, sadden, and exceedingly violent storms for which the hilly districts of Central Otago are liable had come upon them, the stars of heaven had been blotted out one by one, whilat sudden, cold gusts ol wind struck them and chilled them to the bone. It was in the midst of orje of these that Hawkston, who was sitting on the tront seat of the

were fast being accompanied with still colder rain.

" Where are you going to put him, Jew, my girl ? " asked old Duncan. " Into the spare room ? "

" No, father," she answered ; "he must take my ioom, which 1b quite ready, and I will get the spare room ready for myself." They quickly made the patient comfortable in bed, and as Will was fortunate enough to catch the doctor just starting his evening in the bar parlour, he was able to set the broken bones and bandage him up without any great loss of time.

"Well, I'll be going now," said Dr Galbraith, " and I will bring a nurse with me tomorrow, eh M'Lean ? Jess has quite enough to do without nursing sick tourists."

" But can't we get him over to Harrowgate to-morrow 1 " asked Captain Forsyth hastily. 11 We mustn't intrude upon Mr M 'Lean's good nature too much."

" Move him to-morrow I " cried the doctor. "My dear sir, though you are an army man you don't seem to understand what a serious thing a compound fracture of the tbigh is, but besides in this case there are two ribs broken 1 Perhaps in a week he may be moved, not before. By the bye, the leg was broken by the buggy wheel, but how did the ribs go 7 " he roared out, for, to say the truth, he wa? just at his best, as it was called, for all his patients knew he couM perform a difficult operation with skill and certainty only when he had a glass or two of whißky in him.

11 1 fell between the horf c and trap, and the brute kicked me in the ribs as I fell," answered a weak voice.

" All right, old man. Don't talk," roared th c doctor. " We'll pull you round in no time — that is if in picking you up your friendß did not lacerate any of your innards, my boy ; your liver,Jfor instance 1 Anyhow we'll hope for the best. I'll fetch Mrs Doran as nurse to-morrow, M'Lean," he added, turning to the farmer. " She is a good nurse and a good woman too, if little Jess here will keep the whisky locked up. Well— well yeß, I'll take a nip; the rain has passed, but. it is cold for this time of year. So long," and away went the doctor on his nag.