The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-05-07

! the famiEGar old ramshackle old bugg,
and the beautiful horses Don WAS .fames
toy nade. sneir appearance, and set Z
on the last stage OF my journey. WheI
arrived at my destination it was darl
and raining heavily; and the groom wht
opened the stable-gate told me that my
; brother had not long come up from the
wash-place and was interviewing shearer
at the hut. ! was wet and muddy, so
went straight to my room without ever
asking for my sister-in-law, who wa
usually in her nursery at that hour, anc
proceeded to make myself respectable
for dinner. Presently heard Don about
the passages (the house was weather
board and the partitions extremely
thin) asking the servants where was
and then his head and half-bared neck
appeared in the narrow aperture between
my door and the door post.
"Glad to see you, old boy; but I'm toe
dirty to come in said he. Seen Liz.
zie?o
"Not yet"
! "Seen Rachel?"
4 "Notyet. But | say, old man, would
you mind telling me how many more
sisters you've got?"
"No more" said Don with a grin.
"She's the last one, and she's the best of
them all. !"
"Then | hope l may be allowed for
once to enjoy the society of one of Liz
zie's sisters, in friendly way" Igrum-
blingly responded (for | may as well
admit that Don and had had condolences
of old on this subject). "Den't you
believe you could give Lizzie a notion
that don't mean to get married, or that
I've sweetheart up the country, or
something of that sort9"
Not L." rejoined my bnOther, laugh
ing.
I'm not going to spoil her fun, poor
little soul; you're old enough to take
care of yourself And with that they
went off whistling cheerfully, to his
dressing room. &.
When | had completed my toilet, l
gathered up some boxes of choice cigars
that had been purchasing in town, and
carried them to the door of the ad Looming
apartment, which had been Don's smok-
ing-room ever since | had known it, To
my surprise, the bolt shot sharply as /
touched the handle, and l heard a rustic
OF drapery inside. A housemaid coming
along with lamps for the dinner-table
called out hastily: "Oh, sir, that is
Miss RachePs room now. The smoking
room is at the end of the veranda, where
Miss Garry slept last year. Mrs. Gar
diner wished it to be changed because
she didn't want the smell of tobacco so
near the bedrooms"
took back my boxes, thinking no
more about it, and went on to the draw
ing-room, which was full of light and
warmth and comfort, as usual, and where
foand two OF my little nieces sitting
demurely on sofa in their best frocks,
ready to rush into my arms. Lizzie
came hurrying in after me, rosy and ra-
diant, and with plenty of founces and
c0iofs about her, and gave me her own
enthusiastic welcome; and then Don,
spruce and perfumed, joined us. Don,
in his early years had been dandy, and
a little youthful weakness remained in
him still. He never came to dinner
without rings on his fingers and subtle
odors in his clothes; and he was at great
pains to keep pair of Dundreary whis-
kers accurately adjusted on each side of
a closely shaven chin. He had been ten
years in the Bush, and had never OBJ
jected to roughing it in general way !;
but he persisted in shaving himself every
morning, let what would happen; which
| singular habit in all Australian country
gentleman very much puzzled his beard
ed friends. | for one, used to quiz him
as we'll as | knew how, when saw him
swathe his neck in q handkerchief be-
fore going out to his work if the sun
shown too strongly; but / respect his
little vanities nowadays, and hope he
will keep his white throat and his Dun
dreary whiskers as long as he lives, bless
him. He took one Of his little girls on
his knee, and questioned me about my
station matters and about Conolly's
sheepwash (Which was moi so we'll fur
nished with Improvements as his own,
much to his satisfaction); and Lizzie
gave me an account of the development
of her respective children since I had
seen them last, including the cutting of
the baby's teeth; and then the dinner
bell rang.
Where's Racbel?" inquired Don.
] turned a languid eye upon the door
when we heard the sound of a distant
ustle, expecting to see one of the
mart and smiling damsels I was 50
used to, and wondering whether this one
would be dark or fair. With slow and
quiet step she came along the hall and
entered the room, and my heart began
suddenly to beat in very unpleasant
Mariner. She had delicate, thoughtful,
but piquant face, wavy brown hair mod
estly and becomingly set, and q slight
figure daintijy dressed in pale blue silk,
with little white lace about the throat
and arms; and yet she was the image of
Marie Antoinette in Delaroche's picture,
only with more majestic dignity of car
rage, If that could be, and more calm
disdain upon her face. As soon as saw
her, and felt the exceedingly faint
acknowledgment she veuchsafed when we
were formally introduced, / intuitively
guessed-w with horrible sense Of shame
and modification that she had over
heard what / said to Don in my bedroom
through those card-paper walls!
! never thought that / should feel 50
concerned at standing i'll with one of Liz
zie's sisters az felt before that evening
came to an end. All through dinner [ /
saw without looking, offended dignity in
the pOise Of her head and tile studied
reposetof her manner, and heard the ring
OF it in the every infection Of her voice.
though twas so subtle and delicate that
only guilty conscience could detect Il.
1t was a great deal worse in the evening.
when Lizzie began her fussy little con-
trivances for throwing us together. The
poor little woman never had 40 imnracti-
nI1a q nprrva wa . !