Lilian Turner

“ John laughed. "If you do run away," he said, "what shall you do?"
Betty's ambition leapt to life, and her tears dried themselves on her cheeks and in her eyes.
"I'm going to sing," she said. "I'm going to stand at a street corner and sing, and I'm going to wear a tattered old dress and no boots and stockings. And then an old gentleman will pass by and he'll hear me and stand still, and he'll take me away to make a singer of me; and even lords will come to hear me sing, and kings and queens." ”

“ John thought again, but could only shake his head.
"All women can do," he said, "is wash up, and cook dinners, and mend clothes!"
Betty's lips quivered.
"I won't be a woman," she said, "I won't!"
John owned to sharing her craving to be rich, but he wanted to make his wealth himself—which set Betty's imagination galloping down a new road. She had only thought hitherto of her grandfather's riches, which had seemed to her and Cyril to be all the money there was in the world. ”

“ Most of her daylight hours were spent, either rolling on the rough 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 might romp and sing and chatter around her very cot as she slept, but she could not steal out of her slumbers even to blink a golden eyelash at them.
So that when Cyril overtook Elizabeth at the gate, my Lady Baby was asleep in his arms, and so she stayed in spite of the thumping of his heart, and the chatter of the ghost, and the rough road. ”

“ At the seventieth the tears were trickling down her cheeks, for she was only Elizabeth Bruce "detained for inattention," the schoolroom was only a schoolroom, and the forms were only forms—and empty. And that was the master down at the desk there, exercise books and slates around him and a pen behind his ear. For a space the tears splashed down hard and fast upon her slate and the sight of the big drops aroused her self-pity. The larger the splashes the larger her self-sorrow. ”

“ No one ever comes in, and we never go out."
"Poor little Thea," said Mona.
"And we're very poor," went on Dorothea with strange recklessness; "we ought to be rich, but we're not, and the house is full of children, and there's never any peace from morning till night."
Mona grew crimson. She wanted to say something very much, and she lacked the courage. Instead she asked how old were the children, as if she did not know!
"There's Betty," said Dot, "she's to come here when I leave, and she won't enjoy it a bit—she's such a romp—and there's Cyril, they're both about twelve. ”

“ John put down his spoon and stared at his grandfather earnestly, eagerly, admiringly.
"You're a self-made man!" he said. And old as the Captain was, and young as was his admirer, he warmed pleasantly at the words.
"Ay!" he said exultingly, "I'm a self-made man right enough. Every bit of me! I started life as an errand boy in the London slums, and it seemed for a time as if I was going to die an errand boy in the London slums. ”

“ The centre figure was dressed in a lilac print, and wore a spotless apron and a straw hat. Upon either side of her walked a little golden-haired girl, one apparently about Betty's age, and one Nancy's. Their dresses were white and spotless, and reached almost to their knees; their hats were flat shady things trimmed with muslin and lace. Their hair was beautifully dressed and curled, their boots shining—and buttoned, and their faces smiling and happy-looking. ”

“ She knew the story that would soon be all over the school—all over the neighbourhood—that Cyril had been [92] afraid to fight. Of course she, Betty, his own twin sister, knew there would not be a grain of truth in it. She knew he was shy and delicate, and had hurt his leg. But for all that, she wished eagerly that he were not shy and delicate, and did not always have some bodily ill when fighting time came. And more than one sob shook her, for she beheld the honour of the Bruces being trampled under John Brown's big boots. ”

“ She and Cyril and all the rest of them were merely the children of his grandfather's daughter. And, as he impressed upon Betty, women didn't count for much in the world's eyes.
Yet Betty was very earnest in her intention to be something great—something self-made, and John was willing enough not to stand in her way. He himself was going to start at once; he was not going to waste any more time over going to school and doing lessons. He pointed to his grandfather as a fine example of a man who had risen because he had not wasted time in learning. ”

“ At breakfast the bread was handed to her without her once asking for it; Nancy watched her plate eagerly, that she did not run out of butter; Mary ran in with a nicely poached egg just at the right moment; Mrs. Bruce kept her cup replenished without once asking if it was empty.
"Don't do any view hunting or gully climbing alone," said Mr. Bruce. "It's the easiest thing in life to be lost in the bush. Besides, no girl should roam about alone." ”

“ Cyril thought a reply was one of those many things that could be dispensed with—he merely showered a little extra vindictiveness upon the firewood and kicked the cask with a shabby copper-toed boot.
Betty danced across to him and put her sun-tanned face close to his fair freckled one.
"How would you like to be very rich?" she said, "and to have a pony of your own, and jelly and things to eat, and a lovely house to live in, and——"
"Don't be so silly, Betty," said the boy irritably.
Betty wagged her head. "I've got a thought," she said.
"Your silly-old pearl-seeking is no good. ”

“ So he neither followed Betty nor went home; but, in dreadful doubt and great fear, he hung between the two courses in the banana grove, and shivered at the tree-trunks and the rustling leaves and the stray patches of moonlight. ”

“ Her face was alight with eagerness as she besought her brother to "just see if he'd know her!"
"It'll be almost dark when I get there," she said, "and he'll never dweam I'm not you."
"But what'll you do when you get there?" asked Cyril, sitting up in bed; "perhaps a challenge does mean a fight!"
[94] "Fight him!" said Betty stoutly; "I've been wanting to ever since he went above me."
"You can't fight," said Cyril disgustedly. "You're only a girl."
Betty's face positively flamed with eagerness. ”

“ Cyril was saying grumblingly. "I know I'd have done my lessons only for you, Betty Bruce."
"What is the matter with Nancy?" asked their father, leaning over the window sill once more. "Why was she crying?"
"'Cause she thinks she'll be late," said Betty easily. "She always cries if she thinks she's late."
Down the road they went, Nancy hurrying and crying, Cyril grumbling, Betty silent.
To none of them had Monday morning come exactly right—fresh and uncrumpled.
Betty sat down, just outside her grandfather's gate, to lace her boots, and Cyril went grumbling on about a hundred yards behind Nancy. ”

“ Chocolate nougats or—pitiful hunger! Her face flushed as conscience won the battle.
The next second she had slipped out of line and run across to Betty.
"Here; little girl!" she said, and thrust a shilling into Betty's hand.
The little singer looked up, shy and startled, and her song died on her lips while her eyes plainly rejoiced over the shilling.
Then the English governess awoke from a happy day-dream and sharply ordered Alma back to her place.
"You should have asked permission," she said stiffly. "I cannot have such disorders. I will punish you when we return to school!" ”

“ Elizabeth smiled drily. She could not even sweep a room and be just Elizabeth Bruce. Saturdays usually found her in imagination [35] Cinderella; and consequently harsh words from Dorothea, who in her eyes was a cruel step-sister, would have found more favour with her than kind ones.
"There is the kitchen to be swept," said Betty; "the ashes are thick on the hearth and the breakfast things are not washed up." ”

“ Betty gave a great sigh of relief as she watched them. How beautiful they were. How dainty! Betty looked down at her own old boots, old stockings, old dress. She turned her bonnet over disdainfully and thought of their lace-trimmed hats—their golden hair! ”

“ Dot herself was unpacking and packing up. Unpacking all her exercise books, and notebooks, and stacks of neat examination papers; her lesson books and Czerney's 101 Exercises for the Pianoforte; her sewing samples and wool-work; her study of a head in crayon, and waratahs and flannel flowers in oils, and peep of Sydney Harbour in water colours.
"When I come home again," she told herself gravely, "I will arrange life: I'll practise at least two hours every morning; I'll do some solid good reading every day—some one like Shakespeare or Milton or Bacon! I'll paint every afternoon. ”

“ Brown laughed. He detected the nervousness in his opponent's voice, and had fully expected it. If he had found "Bruce" over-bold, he would have been surprised indeed. As it was, the reply in some way pleased him.
[97] "Well," he said, "you're not going to fight me. I'm not in a fighting mood; I'm going to thrash you."
Betty caught her breath. It certainly entered into her mind to cry out and run away, but she did nothing of the sort, she only clenched her hands, and stood her ground—having as usual a sufficiency of courage for the occasion. ”

“ Brown turned and looked at the little group; Cyril a good distance in the rear; and angry-faced Betty, with Nancy cowering in terror behind her.
"Look here," he said, "I'm not going to have any of you people poaching on my grandfather's property. You can come as far as the fence if you like, but I advise you to come no further."
Betty's stone flew through the air—many yards distant from the boy on the post.
"Good, again," he said. "There are plenty more stones and I'm here yet."
Again Betty repeated the process, and with even worse results. She never could aim straight in all her life! ”

“ And, you know, Peterborough, the artist I told you about—well, he slept for a week in a barrel!"
"How much money have you got?" asked Betty.
"Eightpence!" said John. "No one seems to want an errand boy to-day."
Betty began to feel very doleful at being one step above John in this the beginning of their career. But she dared not offer to lend to him, he had been so very insistent upon paying her back her penny, and paying for his own breakfast and lemonade and buns. ”

“ She says if a girl hasn't beauty she has only one other chance in the world—and that is to be brilliant. I do try to be clever—but it's no good."
Dot kissed her.
"When you are grown up you'll look different," she said. "You'll wear long trailing dresses—and—do your hair like this—and——"
But Alma sprang to her feet.
[161] "What a croaker I am," she said. "I never told this to any one before. Thea—it is my very biggest secret. You'll never tell any one, will you? Never! never! Father says if I'm good I'll be beautiful enough for him. ”

“ I'm so lonely. Father is always busy, and mother—mother is disappointed in me."
Dot opened her eyes in surprise. She had never dreamed of a mother being disappointed in her child.
[160] "I'm not pretty—or clever—or anything," sobbed Alma. "She's always been disappointed in me—ever since I was a tiny baby—and I've always known it—and—and—she doesn't know I know. Oh dear!"
Dot was shocked. "Darling Alma!" she said again.
"It's dreadful to be the only child—and to be a disappointment," said Alma. "I think father is sorry for us both."
Dot stroked the girl's straight hair. ”

“ But a sixpenny place will do for you, and as you're only twelve they might take you for threepence."
"And where will you go?" asked Betty anxiously.
"Oh, I'd be sixpence, you see, because I'm thirteen and a half," said John. "I can't afford to pay sixpence. It's always harder for a fellow to get on than for a girl. That's why you hear more about self-made men than self-made women—they're thought more of. ”

“ And she thought it very kind of Dot to have asked her mother to break the rule of silence, if it were only for an hour.
"I thought you were going to wear your hair on the top of your head," she said, surveying Dot's plait somewhat contemptuously.
"Mother won't let me," said Dot; "she says sixteen's too young."
"Why sixteen is old," said Betty, "and you've left school." ”

“ Cyril went into the bush—not very far—because the growth was thick, and he had a great dread of snakes.
"S'pose I were bitten," he said, "and I just had to stay here by myself and die! Wonder where Betty is; it's very silly of her to go and lose herself like this. I never lose myself at all."
He came to a two-rail fence, and climbed up and sat on one of its posts, and then he looked around as far as the bush would let him see.
"It's better to keep near a fence," he said. "Then if a bull comes, you're safe. ”

“ Down in the gully where the growth was thicker, and where the wattles and willows made many a fairy grove, a small creek ran. The widest end of it ran into their grandfather's grounds, and had at one time in its career broken down the two-rail dividing fence, which now lay submerged in its waters and formed the "dangerous coral islands" alluded to by Betty.
It pleased Elizabeth's fancy to state that her grandfather was unaware of this creek, but that some one would tell him soon, and then he would send men and have it well examined by divers. ”

“ If he had only been a cobbler's son, a tailor's, a barber's!
But alas! he was well-dressed, well-fed, well-housed; sent to a good school. He had a pony of his own and a man to groom him; a bicycle; a watch; every equipment for cricket and football; a dog; pigeons and most of the possessions dear to the heart of a boy.
He had almost finished his dinner to-day when he put a question to the Captain sitting there smiling over his letter.
"Grandfather," he asked, "are you rich?" ”

“ Can I sing hymns on other days than Sundays, John?"
"Better not," said the cautious John; "better keep the proper things for the proper days. Well, Betty Bruce, if you're going to stay here all day, I'm not. I'm getting awfully hungry."
At last Betty's motherliness awoke.
[211] "My poor John!" she said, "of course you're hungry. We'll go to a shop and get a really good breakfast. I wasn't thinking. When a person begins to make a lot of money, they generally forget other things, don't they?" ”

“ And there was Betty—dreadful scapegrace Betty, barefooted, dirty faced, bare-headed (her bonnet was of course under her arm) , singing songs for coppers!
Dot coughed, went white, choked, and walked on. She simply had not the courage to step out from that line of fashionable demoiselles and claim her little sister.
But Alma Montague, who carried her purse for the purchase of chocolate nougats should a favourable opportunity occur, had her tender little heart touched by Betty's face and song.
[221] "Each victory will help you
Some other to win." ”