Pat Ritter. Books

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'The Shearer' - Page 30:

‘Gawd damn right you are. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,’ Joe spoke openly for the first time.
‘You should meet my mother. She’s more beautiful than I.’
‘I’d love to sometime but I think your father would have something to say about that, wouldn’t he?’
‘Pa’s bark is bigger than his bite. You should know after you cut the sheep today. I though he was going to sack you on the spot. He usually does.’ Hannah explained.
‘Yeah, I’m lucky he didn’t. You know I haven’t cut a sheep since I was learning to shear at fifteen years old.’
‘How old are you Joe?’
‘Twenty-six this birthday, 26th July. Just imagine twenty-six on the twenty-sixth! This could mean an omen. How old are you if I may ask?’
‘You may ask. I’m eighteen. Celebrated my birthday the other day and that’s what I’m doing home from school. I’d better get going, Pa will think I’ve been accosted.’ She rose, looking at Joe who stood and their eyes met. ‘Might see you tomorrow Joe. Sweet dreams.’ She walked away toward the homestead.
Joe returned to the shearer’s quarters with a smile so wide nothing could wipe it from his face. He couldn’t wait to see Hannah again; his determination to become ‘gun’ shearer was uppermost in his mind.

‘What took you so long? You only needed to turn off the water,’ her father barked when she returned to the homestead.
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'The Shearer' - Page 31:

‘I’ve been talking Pa.’
‘Not to that shearer who I should’ve sacked today for cutting the sheep.’ His voice softened.
‘Yes I spoke with Joe Ryan. He’s okay Pa, he’s a gentleman. He showered and shaved and wore town clothes. He looked good Pa,’ she explained in the hope her Pa would accept Joe as a person and not a shearer. She never understood why cocky’s were different to other people. Why did they need to segregate themselves from the working class?
‘How many times have I told you to keep away from the hired help? They’re not like us. They only need to shear the sheep and when they’re finished their job, off to the next shed. In the meantime we have to cover the costs and help run this country. You know Australia was born on the sheep’s back. Without wool the country would be broke.’ He finished his time on the soapbox and continued to suck on his pipe.
Hannah loved her father, but at times like this she’d wish he could see the other side of the coin and relent to the hired help instead of always coming down hard on them. She understood the worker didn’t receive sufficient wages for their work and although the conditions were better at their property than most others in the district, she continued to have a soft spot for the hired help, especially Joe Ryan.
‘Pa, I’m off to bed.’ She leaned down, kissed her father on the cheek and put her arm around his neck to whisper in his ear, ‘I love you’.
Her dreams weren’t of her father but Joe Ryan. What was it Joe had over her to have him in her dreams? Although she loved her father, she felt a warm feeling whenever she was near Joe.
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'The Shearer' - Page 32:

Although she loved her father, she felt a warm feeling whenever she was near Joe.

Joe couldn’t sleep, his mind focused on his beautiful Hannah. Her image stayed preventing him from closing his eyes and falling into dream world.
‘Can’t ya sleep mate?’ Bluey’s whispered.
‘Haven trouble mate. Can’t get Hannah out of my head.’
‘If you don’t get some sleep shortly, you’ll be buggered for tomorrow and how are you going to beat me to be ‘gun’ shearer?’ Bluey rolled over and closed his eyes.
Joe thought about Bluey’s comment and decided it was no use wondering if Hannah was thinking of him at the same time he was thinking of her, so he rolled over in his swag and sleep overtook his weary body.

Chapter 5

For the remainder of the week Joe forced himself to shear more sheep daily than he’d ever before done, in his life. Was it to impress Hannah, or was it to become ‘gun’ shearer for the shed? His mate, Bluey, kept pace with Joe until the shed ran out of sheep to shear. Cocky Young tallied the number shorn by each shearer for the run to show Joe shorn one more sheep than his mate Bluey to make him the ‘gun’ shearer.
‘Congratulations Joe.’ Cocky Young called, after he’d completed the tally. ‘You’re the ‘gun’ shearer for the shed.’ They shook hands and looked one another in the eye. Joe felt that if Cocky Young’s eyes were daggers, he would be dead on the spot.
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'The Shearer' - Page 33:

‘Thanks, Mr Young.’ Joe muttered, let his hand go and gave a wink to Hannah before he joined his mates.
‘Where’re we off to now Joe? The next shed, so I can beat your tally.’ Bluey ed. ‘Hope there won’t be a bloody gal there to make you do what you did at this place.’
‘Tilbooroo Station not far from Eulo. Got to be there to start work day after tomorrow.’ Joe said. He looked across to Hannah who no doubt heard his comment to Bluey. She looked at him and motioned her head to meet him outside near the sheep pens.
Around the opposite side of the shearing shed and out of view of others Hannah stood with her arms across her chest shuffling her boots in the dirt. ‘When were you going to tell me about going to Tilbooroo Station?’ She asked sternly.
‘When I had an opportunity. I wanted to tell you before I left.’ He muttered.
‘Are you going to see me anymore?’ Her voice lowered; her chin almost touched her neck.
‘I’d love to, but what about your father? I don’t think I’m on top of his list for suitors for you,’ Joe admitted.
‘Don’t worry about my father, what about me?’ Tears welled in her eyes.
’Course I want to see you. I can’t get you out of my head, why do you think I worked my backside off to be ‘gun’ shearer - because of you. I want you to feel proud of me.’
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Thank you nevis for your thanks. Here is the page for today: 'The Shearer' - Page 34:

‘I am proud of you Joe. You don’t have to kill yourself to prove it to me. When will I see you again?’ Tears flowed down her cheeks.
‘What am I to do about your father? He’ll never like me and I want to get to know you more, if it’s okay with you.’
‘It’s okay with me. When are you leaving for Tilbooroo Station?’ She wiped her tears away with a handkerchief, handed to her by Joe.
‘Before daybreak tomorrow. I’ll walk there in two days.’
‘Okay. I’ll meet you at our log tonight to say good-bye.’ She walked away.
Joe’s mind buzzed with joy. He couldn’t wait to meet Hannah at their favourite spot to say their farewells. After dinner, he showered and changed into clean clothes. It was growing dark.
‘What time you leavin in the morning Joe?’ asked Bluey.
‘Before daylight. I want to be on the road before it gets too hot, why?’
‘I’ve decided to tag along with ya, if it’s okay. I can’t let you get away with beating me,’ Bluey explained.
‘Be ready, I walk fast but you’re welcome to join me.’
‘Are you off to see your gal before you go?’ Bluey wanted to know.
‘Yeah – if it’s okay with you. I don’t know when I’ll see her again.’ Joe left to meet Hannah.
Hannah was waiting. When she saw Joe approach she jumped from her seat and rushed to his open arms, swung her arms around his neck and their lips joined as one. Love seeped through Joe’s body; he felt his toes tingle. Their lips parted, Hannah took Joe’s hand and led him to sit on the log.
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'The Shearer' - Page 35:

‘Here is your handkerchief. I washed and ironed it.’ Hannah handed Joe the handkerchief with a smile.
‘Hannah, what are we going to do? I have feelings for you and they won’t go away. Are we meant to be together?’ Joe asked, with his arms wrapped around her.
‘I know I want to be with you, but I can’t. Pa would have kittens if I told him about how we feel about one another. Tomorrow I’m returning to Brisbane to finish school and become a school teacher. When I’m qualified, Joe, I promise to find you and we will be together always,’ she promised.
‘This is too good to be true. I never would’ve thought in my wildest dreams to fall in love with such a beauty as you Hannah. What if you meet someone else or someone your father would rather you be with?’
‘I don’t care – I only want you, Joe. If I’ve got to wait forever, I will. I only want you.’ They kissed, this time more passionately than before. Joe didn’t want to leave nor let go of this moment but Hannah needed to return home or her father would become suspicious.
‘Hannah, when I’m in Cunnamulla I live at Ma’s Guest House. Ma’s like a mother to me. If you want to leave a letter or contact me, she will keep this between three of us.’
‘I’ll write and send it care of Ma’s Guest House, Cunnamulla. Goodbye until we meet again.’ She kissed his soft lips smoothly, stood and about to walk away not looking back, afraid she could never leave his side.
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'The Shearer' - Page 36:

Joe stopped her, ‘Hannah – before you go I want you to wear my ring around your neck to show the world you’re mine.’ Joe removed his ring, given to him by his first contractor, Mr Thompson, who had treated him as a son, unlike his own father, the initials JR embroidered on the face of the ring.
‘Joe. I’ll wear this ring as a bondage to our love.’ She placed it on her finger but would later find a necklace and wear it around her neck. They kissed and parted.

Before the sun broke through the morning sky, Joe and Bluey carried their swags along the dirt track leading from the property. Joe looked through the morning mist toward the veranda homestead; he saw the silhouette of a person waving from the veranda. He knew it was Hannah, and returned the wave.
‘You think you’ll ever see her again?’ Bluey asked.
‘You can be certain. I’ll marry her one day.’ Joe kept one eye on Hannah waving on the veranda and the other on the path he and Bluey followed. It was dark, but clear enough to see a couple of feet ahead. He’d like a penny for each mile he’d walked to shearing sheds since he first started out as a twelve year old. He wouldn’t need to shear, he’d have sufficient money to go to Mr Young and ask for his blessings to marry his daughter. Now all he could hope for was that Hannah didn’t forget him and write. He didn’t know when or where he would see her again.
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