THE BROKEN COLUMN
35
young fellow cut off in all his sins and all his joy. And suddenly, too! I think this is the most touching tomb I have ever seen. Who was he; and how did it happen?"
Irralie was watching him with keen eyes.
"It was before our time," she said; "but he was a young fellow almost straight from his public school, like Mr. Hodding; only he came up here as storekeeper. His people had the memorial sent up from Melbourne. But it was by his own request that he was buried here; he lived some hours after it happened."
"But what did happen?"
"A bushranger shot him through the lungs."
He looked at her sharply; she was more than looking at him. Without a word he signified his readiness to return to the house; without a word she led the way.
