us inflammation, and take a long time to
heal, and concluded by saying, "as long as life lasts, I shall never
forget that only for his heroic conduct I should now be a childless man,
and my daughter have died a death too fearful to contemplate."

Gerrard's letter was in his usual laconic style.

"Dear Ted,--I have bought a little station here called
Kaburie--good cattle country with about 2500 head on it. In
getting a mob across a creek I was mauled by an alligator'
and if it had not been for my friend Fraser--in whose house
I am now staying for a week or so--shooting the beast, it
would have had me. It is nothing serious, so don't worry
over me--some deep cuts on my face, that is all, and Mr
Fraser and his daughter (a charming girl) are coddling me
up. Jim is with me. I left him with your old friend Lacey at
Port Denison, but the young beggar wouldn't stay when he
heard that I had had an accident. He is making great running
with pretty Miss Fraser. Give my love to Lizzie and Mary,
and tell the latter that I trust her bear is now thoroughly
convalescent Jim will write to Mary by next mail. He went
out early this morning fishing with Miss F------, and did
not know that the mailman was calling to-day.--Yours ever,
Tom."

Mary's face brightened at the prospect of a letter from her
dearly-beloved Jim, and Mrs Westonley smiled. Ever since Gerrard's visit
to Marumbah Downs, her once icy and austere manner to the child had, bit
by bit, relaxed, until at last she had thawed altogether, and had been
amply repaid by such a warm response of affection that she now made a
companion of the little one, and found herself a much happier woman now
that the sweet sunlight of childish love had penetrated and melted her
former frigid reserve. Westonley had noted the change with unalloyed
delight, but, like a wise man, had pretended not to notice; but one day,
soon after Gerrard's letter had arrived, he could not suppress himself.
He had been away on a business visit to his squatter neighbour Brooke,
to whom he had sold his cattle station in Central Queensland at a
very satisfactory figure, and as he rode up to the slip-rails of the
home-paddock, he saw the one time "incubus" coming flying towards him,
her sun-tanned face wreathed in smiles.

"Oh, Uncle Ted, Uncle Ted!" she panted, as she took down the slip-rails,
and let Westonley pass through, "just f