Tom Gerrard by Louis Becke

The news of Westonley's sudden death was a great shock to Gerrard. The brief telegram from his half-sister had been forwarded to Port Denison, and Lacey had sent it on to him at Fraser's Gully, by the mailman, together with a copy of the _Clarion_, containing the telegraphed account of the Dacre's bank failure. Had Gerrard looked at the newspaper, he might perhaps have connected Westonley's sudden end with the financial disaster, which had brought ruin to so many thousands of Australian homes, for he knew that his brother-in-law banked at Dacre's.

But Mrs Westonley had said nothing of the cause of her husband's death--"Edward died suddenly yesterday. Am writing you fully to-night to Port Denison" was all that she had said.