ffairs existing between her and his partner
Ballantyne. Briefly stated, this is what had occurred--that is, as far
as Haughton knew.

Twelve months before, Mrs. Channing, a meek-faced, religious-minded
lady, had succumbed to the worries of life under the combined and
prostrating influences of a galvanised iron roof, an independent
Chinaman cook, and a small powerful theological library. Immediately
after her death, old Channing at once wrote to his daughter, then at
school in Sydney, to come back "and cheer up his lonely life."

"Poor dad," said Kate, "I suppose he means for me to continue poor
mother's feeble remonstrances to Chow Kum about giving away so much
rations to the station gins, and to lend a hand when we muster for
branding."

However, being a dutiful girl, she packed up and went.

On board the steamer she had met Ballantyne, who was returning to
Queensland to resume his mining pursuits in the Palmer District. He knew
old Channing well by reputation as a wealthy but eccentric old squatter,
and in a few days he managed to make the girl fall violently in love
with him. The day that the steamer reached Brisbane a telegram was
brought on board for Miss Channing. It was from her father, telling
her that Mrs. Lankey, of Mount Brindlebul, was coming up from Sydney in
another week, and she was to wait in Brisbane for her. Then they were to
travel northward together.

If there was one woman in the world she hated it was Mrs. Lankey, of
Mount Brindlebul station, in the Gulf country, and Ballantyne, from whom
she could hide nothing, saw his opportunity, and took it. He took her
ashore, placed her in lodgings, went to an hotel himself, and the day
before her future escort arrived, married her.

Perfectly satisfied with the cogent reasons he gave for secrecy in
not apprising her father of their marriage, and shedding tears at the
nonchalant manner in which he alluded to a honeymoon "some time in a
year or so when the old man comes to know of it," pretty Kate Channing
went back alone to her lodgings to await Mrs. Lankey and cogitate upon
the peculiarly masterful way in which Ballantyne had wooed and won her.

Six months afterwards she got a letter from Ballantyne, telling her that
he had bought Petermann's crushing mill at Mulliner's Camp, "so as to be
near you, my pet," he said. At the same time he warned her of the folly
of their attempting to meet, at least openly; but added that Haughton,
his partner, who knew