An Outback Marriage

ht fairly claim to be the main street, as it was the only street that had any houses in it). The front room, where he sat, was fitted up with a table and a set of pigeon-holes full of dusty papers

ain cottage were servants' quarters and kitchen. Behind the house, on a spare allotment, were two or three loose-boxes for racehorses, a saddle-room and a groom's room. This was the whole establishment. A woman came in every day to do up his rooms from the hotel, where he had his meals. It was an inexpensive mode of life, but one that c

n supplies, even for bad stations, run into a lot of money, and the store account was approaching a hundred pounds. Then there was a letter from a horse-trainer in Sydney to whom he had sent a racehorse, and though this animal had done such brilliant gallops that the trainer had three times telegraphed him that a race was a certainty-once he went so far as to say that the horse could stop to thro

loquent, and logical of mind. Among the Doyles and Donohoes he was little short of a king. Wild, uneducated, and suspicious, they believed in him implicitly. They swore exactly the things that he tol

), and one from a client, saying "I got your note, and will pay you when I get the wool money," he came up

Station,

Mr. B

ccident. It would give me great pleasure if you would come and stay here next Saturday, a

s tr

TE GO

r a while in thought. "Invited to the old station?" he m

ter that he took out of it was a strange jewel to repose in so rude a casket. It also was from Kuryong-from Ellen Harriott, who had taken the precaution of addressing it in a feigned hand so that the postmaster and postmistress at Kiley's Crossing, who handled all statio

Gavan dear, she is nice, but she is very stolid! And so you saved her-what luck for you! But you always have luck, don't you? And don't you think that my love is the best bit of luck

ust a little while, so that we can have each other all to ourselves. Hugh is still worrying about some sheep that he thinks are stolen.

im. The girl was a lady, with friends all over the district. He was rather near the border-line of respectability, and to marry her would have procured him a position that he had little chance of reaching otherwise. He had let things drift on, and the girl, with her fanciful ideas, was, of course, only too ready to fall in with the suggestion of secrecy; it seemed such a precious secret to her. So now he was engaged while still up to his neck in debt; but worse remained behind. In his business he had sums of money for investments and for settlements of cases passing through his hands; and from time to time he had, when hard pushed, used his cli

ir. He was young Isaacstein, son of the Tarrong storekeeper, a would-be sportsman, would-be gambler, would-be lady-killer, would-b

?" he said. "Who's

-business" sa

doing wi

n't give me a copper. What about Saturday

nd I've just got a letter from Mrs. Gordo

Well, go in and win. You won't know us when you marry the owner of Ku

u have," gr

n the governess there-what about that darnce at the Show ba

credit-not an enviable position at any time, and one doubly insupportable to a man of his temperament. And again his th