The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tom Gerrard, by Louis Becke

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Title: Tom Gerrard
1904

Author: Louis Becke

Release Date: April 25, 2008 [EBook #24270]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOM GERRARD ***

Produced by David Widger

TOM GERRARD

By Louis Becke

T. Fisher Unwin 1904

To "ALREMA"

I DEDICATE THIS STORY OF HER
FATHER'S NATIVE LAND

Caen, France. 1904.

CHAPTER I

"Hallo! young lady, what on earth are you doing here?" and Gerrard bent
down over his horse's shoulder, and looked inquiringly into the face of
a small and exceedingly ill-clad girl of about ten years of age.

"Nothing, sir, I only came out for a walk, and to get some pippies."

"And where do you get them?"

"Down there, sir, on the sand," and the child pointed with a strong,
sun-browned hand to the beach, which was within a mile.

"Eat them?"

"Yes--they're lovely. Jim and I roast them in the stockman's kitchen
when auntie has gone to bed."

"And who is Jim?"

"Jim Incubus; I'm Mary Incubus."

"Mary _what_?"

"Incubus, sir."

Gerrard dismounted, and tying his reins to a stirrup, let his horse
graze. Then taking his pipe out of his pocket, he filled and lit it, and
motioned to the child to sit down beside him upon a fallen honeysuckle
tree.

"What is your auntie's name, my dear?" and he took the child's hand in
his.

"Mrs Elizabeth Westonley."

"Ah! I thought so. Now, did you ever hear her talk of an Uncle Tom?"

"Yes, sir," replied the child, wonderingly, "he's a cattleman in the
Northern Territory."

"Well! I'm the cattleman, Mary. I'm the Uncle Tom, and I've come to see
you all."

"All the way from Cape York! Why! Uncle Westonley says it's two thousand
miles from here."

"So it is, my dear," and the man stroked the child's tousled chestnut
hair caressingly; "quite two thousand miles," and then as he looked
at her pityingly he muttered something very uncomplimentary to Aunt
Elizabeth.

"Are you really my uncle Thomas Gerrard?"

"I am really your Uncle Tom Gerrard, and you are my niece Mary. Your
mother was my sister, who