Back To Billabong

u there

ock of Queenie's. The children were out in the garden at the back of the house. Mrs. Rainham was

is it,

all 'is life-called me Elizer! 'E's waitin' for an answer. I'll wait in me room, miss, till you calls me." Th

tter hurriedly. It co

nce to Lincoln's I

what relaxed. It had been too uncomfortable for Mrs. Rainham to keep it up, since it made heavy demands upon her own time, and interfered with too many plans; moreover, in spite of it, Cecilia had slipped away from the house two or three times, going

rouble her. For on her first stolen visit to Mr. M'Clinton's office the wonderful plan of flight to Australia had been revealed to her, and the

e had said. "You are n

no friends here; nothing to leave, except the memory of two bad years. And out there I should fe

aster Gate-only when Bob had come home had she unpacked some of her old wardrobe. Much was packed still, and in store under Mr. M'Clinton's direction, together with many of Aunt Margaret's personal possessions. It was as well that it was so, since Mrs. Rainham had managed to annex a proportion of Cecilia's things for Avice. To Lancaster Gate she had only taken a

this meant that the final flight were near at hand she did not wish to excite anew her stepmother's anger and suspic

formality she had never observed where Cecilia was concerned. The af

en for a month. "I'm asked up to Liverpool for a few days; my sister there is giving a big At Home-an awfully big thi

king with more truth than Mrs. Rai

ng in to afternoon tea; so you just hurry and go over to Balding's to match it. I got it there, and they had plenty. Here's a bit." She held out a fragment of

have agreed to sew anything or everything that mig

o far for only one evening. Mind, Cecilia, you're not to have Bob here while I'm a

od of you," said

ned to go, and then hesitated. "I was thinking you might take Avice with you-but you'll get about quicker alone, and she isn't ready. The tubes and buses are that crowded it's no catch to take a child about with you." In moments of excitement M

with a final injunction to hurry. There was, indeed, no need to give Cecilia that particular command. She scribbled one word, "Coming,"

tness of a Jack-in-the-box,

t ready, Miss? The boy'll fink I've gorn an' eloped wiv i

alding's had never seemed so huge and so complicated, and when she at length made her way to the right department the suave assistant regretted that the trimming was sold out. It was Cecilia's face of blank dismay th

tuff like that," he pondered, glancing after t

ced up and caught the eye of a taxi

lways. She leaned back, closing her eyes. If this summons to Bob indeed meant that their sailing orders had come, she would need all her wits and her coolness. For the first time she realized what her stepmother's absence from home might mean-a thousandfold less plotting and planning, and no

s office. The alert office boy-who had bee

ight in, miss. The

nctum with Mr. M'Clinto

dy, young lady?"

e we to s

Can you manage it, Tommy?" Bob's

caught at his coat slee

olly good ship, too, Tommy; one of the big Australi

mendous piece of luck, Bobby-Mrs.

an tactful!" ejaculated

iverp

e his face assumed a comical expression of dismay. He turn

y?" demand

to see the last of you, that's al

"I thought we went from Graves

verpool, so it seems we don't," said Bob.

are that if you went there, trying to meet some one, you would hunt for him for a week in vain. And you'll proba

Liverpool," Bob said, laughing. "Don't be afraid, Tommy-you'll

lief when one woke, to think that not all through the day would one even have to look at her. It's really very terrible to look at her often; her white face and

men l

admitted. "I found her a very terrible person. Cheer up, Miss Tommy, y

rned to he

m I to

it until Saturday. There's a train somewhere about two o'clock that gets up somewhere about seven or eight that evening. Mr. M'Clinton

e easy, for I know I can depend upon Eliza and Cook. I can get my trunks ready, leave them in my room, and tell Eliza you will be there to

unter out on Friday morning with an inoffensive brown paper parcel containing the res

had better put no ad

ances unconsciously, and sets people thinking! I think you'd better cultivate a downtrodden look, at any rat

in, after this week," said Mr. M'Clinton. "Remember that, Cap

rin. "She bullies me horribly-always did." He slipped his hand through her arm, and

Tommy, I'll expect to hear from you-fairly often, too. I sha

outward seeming; but there was still something about them, as they hurried off to find a teashop to discuss final details, that made people turn to look at them. Even the waitress beamed on

ile, there's plenty of ready money, with what I've saved and my war gratuity. So if you want anything, To

y. "It would be nice to have a little money to spend at the ports, b

eeting me on Friday until lunch time. I'll be worrying if you do, just in case things may have gone wrong. Make it el

ur's grace, though, in case I might be held up at the last moment. O

nd that's a big thing," Bob said. "I don't see how you c

a slowly. "It's queer to think how

as he ever done for us? But I'd forgive him that when I can't forgive

nown everyth

er owe him any affection. So we really needn't worry our heads about him. By the way, there are to be some Australians on the Nauru who General Harran says may be of use to us-I don't

n a troopship," Cecilia said. "But, then, any

her forget how long she had been away; and from that moment until a welcome four-wheeler removed the mistress of the house on Wednesday, she sewed and packed for her unceasingly.

ming. "Unusual and artistic, that's what it is; and it'll show off my hair. Don't forget the darning when I'm gone, Cecilia. There's

dded, sewi

treat them tactfully. Of course you can't expect them to be as obedient to you as they would be to a regular governess, yo

Cecilia, and

idle; she never does any work if she's not kept up to it, and you know you're much too familiar with her. Always keep girls like her at a di

t that yet," said Cecilia

lways do with my servants and governesses," said Mrs. Rainham without the slightest idea that she was saying anything pec

h loud directions to the cabman, her hard face full of self-importance and satisfaction.

again!" breathed the girl. "I

half-sister. Eliza went about her work with a cheery face; even Cook, down in the basement, manifested lightness of heart by singing love songs in a cracked soprano and by making scones for

e sat down and poked the f

ng," Cecili

ty face and the well-tended hair; and who sha

" he said at last. "D

n her; and it braced her to a sudden resolve. She had never been quite satisfied to leave him without a w

s demobilized,

e so," Mark Ra

he wants to

es wavered and

id. You're under age, and your stepmother wo

e for me! We have always bee

tress; Bob will have had a chance to make good by then. I-I can't oppose my

r seems satis

with an irritabl

eet the other, things would be better. Your stepmother says her nerves are al

was relentless, and her father wriggled as thou

st that Bob could offer you a home-and by that time he'll probably be thinking of getti

e for me apart from

ne. He walked to the door, and then half turned. "If you can ma

eps went up the stairs, and she turned to h

y; and laughed a little. She folded a finished pair of socks deliberately, and, rising, stretched her arms luxur