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Article CATHERINE CARMICHAEL; on, THREE YEARS RUNNING. ← Page 10 of 15 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Catherine Carmichael; On, Three Years Running.
and to the window , lest the eyes of that old woman should be prying in ; and then she stooped low , and burying her face beneath the lid , kissed the linen which her hands had smoothed . This she coulcl do , and not feel herself disgraced;—but . when ' the morning came she could let him go and not speak a word . She came out before he was up and prepared the breakfast , ancl then went back to her own room , so that they two mig ht eat it together and then start . But he could not bring himself to go without
one word of farewell . " Say good-bye , at any rate , " he sobbed , standing at her _ door , which opened out upon the verandah . Peter the while was looking on with a lighted pipe in his mouth .-. "Good-bye , John . " The words were heard , but the sobs were almost hidden . " Give me hand" said he . Then there came forth a hand—nothing but a
your , , hand . He took it in his , and for a moment thought that he would touch it with his lips . But he felt , —feeling like a man , —that it behoved him to spare her all he could . He pressed it in his grasp for a moment , and then the hand disappeared . "If we are to go , we might as well be off , " said Peter . So they mounted the buggy and went away .
* * * * * * =:= * The nearest town to Warriwa was a place called Timaru , through which a coach , running from Dunedin to Christehurch , passed three times a week . This was forty miles off , and here was transacted what business was necessary for the carrying On of the sheep-station .. Stores were bought at Timaru , such as sugar , tea , and flour , and here Peter Carmichael generally sold his wool . Here was the bank at which-he kept his moneyand in which his credit always stood high . There were not many journeys
, made from Warriwa to Timaru : but when one became necessary it was always a service of pleasure to Peter . He could , as it were , finger his money b y looking at the bank which contained it , and he could learn what might probably be the price which the merchants would give him for his next clip . On this occasion he seemed to be quite glad of an excuse for driving into Timaru , though it can hardly be imagined that he and his companion were pleasant to each other in the buggy . From Warriwa the road , or
track rather , was flat the whole way to Timaru . There was nothing to be seen on either way but a long everlasting plain of grey , stunted , stony grass . At Warriwa the outlines of the distant mountains were just visible in the west , but the traveller , as he went eastward towards the town and the road , soon lost sight of the hills , and could see nothing but the grey plain . There were , however , three rivers to be passed , the Warriwaand two otherswhichcoming down from the north-westran into the
, , , , Warriwa . Of these the Warriwa itself was the widest , and the deepest , and the fastest . It was in crossing this , within ten miles of her home , —crossing it after dark , —that Catherine had thought how well it would be that the waters should pass over her head , so that she might never see that home . Often , since that , she had thought how wed it would have been for her had she been saved from the horrors of her home by the waters of the river .
We may suppose that very little was said by the two men as they made their way into Timaru . Peter was one who cared little for conversation , anil could be quite content to sit for hours together in his buggy , calculating the weig ht of his wool , and the money which would come from it . At Timaru they dined together , still , we may say , without many words . Then the coach came , and John Carmichael was carried away , —whither his eousin did not even inquire . There was some small money
transaction between them , and John was carried away to follow out his own fortune . Had it been possible Peter would have returned at once , so-as to save expense , but the horses made it necessary that he should remain that night in the town . And , having done so , he stayed the greater part of the following clay , looking after his money and his wool , and gathering his news . At about two he started , and made his way back over the two smaller rivers in safety .- At the Warriwa there was but one ferryman , and m carrying a vehicle with horses over it was necessary that the man in charge of them should work also . On the former day , though the rivers had been very high ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Catherine Carmichael; On, Three Years Running.
and to the window , lest the eyes of that old woman should be prying in ; and then she stooped low , and burying her face beneath the lid , kissed the linen which her hands had smoothed . This she coulcl do , and not feel herself disgraced;—but . when ' the morning came she could let him go and not speak a word . She came out before he was up and prepared the breakfast , ancl then went back to her own room , so that they two mig ht eat it together and then start . But he could not bring himself to go without
one word of farewell . " Say good-bye , at any rate , " he sobbed , standing at her _ door , which opened out upon the verandah . Peter the while was looking on with a lighted pipe in his mouth .-. "Good-bye , John . " The words were heard , but the sobs were almost hidden . " Give me hand" said he . Then there came forth a hand—nothing but a
your , , hand . He took it in his , and for a moment thought that he would touch it with his lips . But he felt , —feeling like a man , —that it behoved him to spare her all he could . He pressed it in his grasp for a moment , and then the hand disappeared . "If we are to go , we might as well be off , " said Peter . So they mounted the buggy and went away .
* * * * * * =:= * The nearest town to Warriwa was a place called Timaru , through which a coach , running from Dunedin to Christehurch , passed three times a week . This was forty miles off , and here was transacted what business was necessary for the carrying On of the sheep-station .. Stores were bought at Timaru , such as sugar , tea , and flour , and here Peter Carmichael generally sold his wool . Here was the bank at which-he kept his moneyand in which his credit always stood high . There were not many journeys
, made from Warriwa to Timaru : but when one became necessary it was always a service of pleasure to Peter . He could , as it were , finger his money b y looking at the bank which contained it , and he could learn what might probably be the price which the merchants would give him for his next clip . On this occasion he seemed to be quite glad of an excuse for driving into Timaru , though it can hardly be imagined that he and his companion were pleasant to each other in the buggy . From Warriwa the road , or
track rather , was flat the whole way to Timaru . There was nothing to be seen on either way but a long everlasting plain of grey , stunted , stony grass . At Warriwa the outlines of the distant mountains were just visible in the west , but the traveller , as he went eastward towards the town and the road , soon lost sight of the hills , and could see nothing but the grey plain . There were , however , three rivers to be passed , the Warriwaand two otherswhichcoming down from the north-westran into the
, , , , Warriwa . Of these the Warriwa itself was the widest , and the deepest , and the fastest . It was in crossing this , within ten miles of her home , —crossing it after dark , —that Catherine had thought how well it would be that the waters should pass over her head , so that she might never see that home . Often , since that , she had thought how wed it would have been for her had she been saved from the horrors of her home by the waters of the river .
We may suppose that very little was said by the two men as they made their way into Timaru . Peter was one who cared little for conversation , anil could be quite content to sit for hours together in his buggy , calculating the weig ht of his wool , and the money which would come from it . At Timaru they dined together , still , we may say , without many words . Then the coach came , and John Carmichael was carried away , —whither his eousin did not even inquire . There was some small money
transaction between them , and John was carried away to follow out his own fortune . Had it been possible Peter would have returned at once , so-as to save expense , but the horses made it necessary that he should remain that night in the town . And , having done so , he stayed the greater part of the following clay , looking after his money and his wool , and gathering his news . At about two he started , and made his way back over the two smaller rivers in safety .- At the Warriwa there was but one ferryman , and m carrying a vehicle with horses over it was necessary that the man in charge of them should work also . On the former day , though the rivers had been very high ,