of it himself. It was nothing more than to effect a reconcilement between their

all sailors are. He doesn't like omens and things, mothe

ds of her mother's. The story of baby Dorothea being taken to melt a father's heart, for i

more matte

she took Dot, he's not very likely t

d counted th

an old man now, and it's quite time he woke up. I've been th

n't talk,"

auseway there's a ghost, and it speaks in sepulchral tones and

ude with this. In her thoughts she became a ghost, straightway. She glided about the house, her lips moved but gave no sound, her eyes shone. Underneath the exhilaration, that her ghostly feelings gave, was the smooth sense of being about to do a great dee

rifling explanation. He was much relieved to hear he would not be expected to take any active pa

at Mr. Bruce might have a long evening at his

nd put away by Dot, and after the baby, had been tucked into her little crib

was strictly forbidden even to peep through the key-hole) to the dark passage that ran from the bedrooms to the dining-room and front door. He went on with his plans while he waited. All day he had been thinking of the rainbow coloured future Betty assured him was his. He had quite decided to leave school directly he was adopted, and to have "some one" come to teach him at home. Of co

ather was giving orders for the destruction of his emus, when

efore he was fairly inside t

brows, and black lines lay under her eyes, making them larger and unnatural-looking. She wore a black gown of her mother's, and a

n what she fondly believed to be "sepulchral

of "being adopted" paled beside the unpleasantnes

," he said. "I don't se

host turned upon

make mother friends with grandfather, and get you adopted

eaning upon the bed-foot and eyeing his sister distrust

and tell them all. I didn't undress Baby to-night, and I put on her blue sash and everythi

h lawn, or sleeping in a hammock swung beneath an apple tree, and as a result, night-tide found her a very drowsy baby indeed. The children migh

was asleep in his arms, and so she stayed in spite of the thumpi

nder sky was scattered with star-dust, a baby-moon peeped over the hill-top and the

dfather's. Betty strove to instil energy into her listless brother, telling him stories of a golden future in store for him. But at the two-rail fe

ignantly. "I won't," she said fiercely. "Give

p of ground called the banana grove, and known in story

blend his moans with Betty's, and carry the heavy baby; or to turn upon his heels, and fly through the darkness from these horrid haunted grounds where his grandsire, and the great emus and dogs lived; wh

t fear, he hung between the two courses in the banana grove, and shivered a

equal to the occasion. It was far easier to her to go forward than backward now, and she braced herself up with a few

laze of light. This was the lowest room in the tower portion

fear had left her, and she stepped i

ive that he quitted his sheltering tree and ra

eringly; "I can't do what I

ll youth-and his teeth chattered as he s

th the baby. "I-I don't want to be r-rich,"

said Bet

el!" whimpered the boy. "R-remembe

the path to the verandah. She went close to the window-three blinds had been left undrawn and the wi

creep to the first window and peep i

ned; only this one room in all t

ng chain" came in contact with something of iron reared up near the window and gave forth a

ny people can recognize their moment when it has gone

yril had urged home, her greatest desire had been to flee. But Betty never quite knew herself-was n

t had taken her to the windows, and the proportions of her plan

the verandah across the path and snatched the baby from her brother's arms; then, running bac

er! F

whose back was to her there rose

hite face, and her little one's, time after time upon the window pane," but oppo

screams, the chain, the opening of the window, had each and all terrified him almos

A stern voice from the open window demanded "Who i

Father,' I'll swear," said a

ce," said t

piteously, and Betty's heart sa

was at hand and she recognized it, and with an

just trouble you-this way please," and not so much as a q

g John Brown," of mathemat

hough, for Baby began to cry and had to be hushed-and the chain clanked an

ed sharply to th

f yours, John?" he

d she looked straight into her grandfathe

o are o

mother's and Cyril's great future an injury to tell her name. And ye

d black bonnet looked be

ask my name,

ff your

pulled off her bonnet. And her dark curly

ld captain, as if he were call

r her reason showed her in a second how

y and his brow grew black as thunder. Betty instinctively pi

e old man, br

w things as this old man would see them, which w

charm against fear-"No Bruce is afraid

wn ones. "Cyril and I got tried of being poor, and I-I thought it wou

h-

ht be sorry now, and I thought a bit

n her arms. The very remembrance of her words left her, for a great fro

e place!" and some hot words, fearful and unintelligib

all went out into the darkne

she had spoilt his chance of ever being adopted. But he was all the time wishing passionately that he too had "done and dared"-that he had not crouched there among the trees, afraid and trembling. A small inner voice, that spoke to him very sharply after such occasions, told hi

"pleasant" evening. She undressed the baby, and kissed her over and over, then put her into her little cot and gave her a dim

t, Mrs. and Mr. Sharman as examples of great goodness. When the baby was placidly sleeping, she sat upright on the end of her mother's bed in her earnestness to "see" if any of those righteous five would be guilty of the wickedness

came into the darkness,

Betty," he said-"I wi

so much nobler than I am. You wouldn't frighten an

ole over Cyril. "Never mind," he said

tty. "I'm going to turn over a new lea