Sisters

months, which proved the poignant insistency of his grief, making thinking a disease instead of a healthy function. He performed his duties mechanically, rigidly, like an en

mstances. He used to look at the blue water beneath him, and long to be beneath it, sharing the

ce from the first; nothing but the sea could keep them from trying to comfort him. A big fellow, with a square, hard face, and a fist to fell an ox-that was just the kind of man to call for coddling, apart from the fact that he was a widower-had been married for as long as five

y disclosed to Alice Urquhart one night at Five Creeks. Alice had written one of the six notes (they were six because it was Christmas time), for she was the sister of Jim Urquhart, who was the friend of an ex-squatter down on his luck through droughts, and reduced to balancing ledgers in a Melbourne office, who was the friend of o

herself out of the ruts in which her father had left it stuck. She was close on thirty, sad to say, and there were three girls below her; and nothing happened from year to year, and she was weary of the monotony. "Do come and see

dah with Alice, and explained why he had not brought the baby. Jim had then g

llied him, "that you

hat she was wrong. No, i

cented a mystery about the child. Was it, perhaps, not ri

erly air of discontent. "Sometimes I wish it was a girl. She could look after me by-and-by; I c

s upon his comely person, noting with regret that he could not be with

n months on Thursday since he lost his mother." Time had done so much for him tha

le thing!" sighe

, solitary, with a full moon. They both felt it. Besides, he had

Miss Urquhart; he's all right. Rolls in fat-never ailed a thing in his life-might take

e's in Melbou

far

n't been home

young child to servants. The little time that I did try to carry on by myself, I made a dismal mess of it. The woma

ools of women can do in the way of mismanaging a baby."

the job like a duck to water-knew just what to do and how to do it. I will say that for her." "Instinct," Miss Urquhart remarked to the man in th

true, too. You see it in the little girls nursing their dolls. I don't think anything of a she-chil

kground of dark leaves and verandah post; and there was danger of rupture to the delicate thread of the topic that w

aid, "he is with h

tude of repose, the gues

ately, she had no family to speak of-and mine is in England. Neither of us

at difficulty," murmured

ole, the most confounded fix-one that I can't for the life of me see my way out of; one that-How

himself, experienced in the troubles of life, such as weighed him down. There was "something about her" that irresistibly appea

by the nameless influences of

you when we go in-the last one for the time being. I get a new one about every other mail, in all sorts of get-up, clothes and no clothes; but all as fat

ly-his ow

turally; but that's because you

ceive of any

t. Nobody would do that who knew what I'd suffered for him." Mr Carey made a gesture, and sighed deeply. "Even in the beginning it would have been difficult to get out of it, having once got in," he continued, after

t, which made them look white as pearls-and made her rather worn face look as if finely carved in ivory. It was

hat the trouble is-oh, don't tell me if you'd rather

umbed to temptation. "Look here, Miss Urquhart, I'll just tell you how it is, if you'll promise not to speak of it again. You are no

. For an instant her pearly hand touched

warmly. He drew his chair closer, took a mom

as lonesome for her, with me away at sea-and they got to be sort of chums. She was with us the night I lost my poor girl-I

ed Alice gently, "of the

ee you begin

le broad enough to be visible in moo

of her dear friend-what could I say, especially as those women were killing the unfortu

osed Alice, s

ve it to look after, as there was no female friend or relative nearer to it than she was. What COULD I do? She lived in a nice, healthy spot, and there was the old mother with her experience, and I was obliged to go to sea; and-and-well, I just had to say "yes", and be thankful to say it. We got the-the doctor found a-we engaged the sort of nurse that does everything, you know-a fine, strapping young woman, in the pink of condition; and-an

quiet question-"Did you pay her?"-which cau

ye," he declared, sighing furiously. "If I could have paid her, of cou

insisted on it,"

ed to press her beyond a certain point. She let me pay for the nurse's board, and that was all. The baby didn't eat anything, you see, and they were comfortably off, with lots of s

dded, with an ai

ou went to s

fully cared for that, upon my soul, I never saw a baby in my life so sweet a

itution-inherited from you evidently-an

ariat department, so to speak, she did next to nothing for him. Miss-th

his cl

d didn't want for anything, as I could see with my own eyes. I tried making presents-used to bring her curios and things-found out her birthday, and

rs' webs," laughed his companion,

replied. "Some beneficent, godlike b

this moment they seemed to have known one

g," she said, "and

had come to Five Creeks partly to avoid being visited by him. Cowardly and weak he frankly

they might by chance make a trifle of profit out of. It seems too late now to simply take the child away, and there leave it. I haven't the shabby courage to do such a thing; and besides, he might come to any sort of grief, poor little chap, in that case. There's no doubt in the world that her taking of him and doing for him have been the salvation of his health, and perhaps his life. And I know, by what she tells me, that he regularly dotes on her-as so he ought-

see the situation. I appreciate your point of view. I should understand it if it were not that she unquestionably lai

at. She was Lily's friend; it was for her-it was out of pure womanly compassion for the mothe

word you have said to me tells me that

in his chair, but c

should repay her if I can; and there's no other way-at least, I can't see any other way. It is my fault, and not hers, that I don't take to the notion; for a better woman never walked, nor one that w

ight wicked, to forego it," Alice declaimed, with ene

nd when she had brought him to reason-very willing to

e me to her, and I will bring him away up here for a visit. He ought to be in the country in summer, and he will come with me, I know, and won't miss her after a couple of days. I can get you a nurse cheap from some of the selectors, and one more o

ou are awfully good, Miss Urquhart. 'Pon my word, you are too good altogethe

turned lightly. "I