Part 16 (1/2)
”It's Kenrick who has brought us luck,” declared Iris, with a decisive nod of her pretty head, as erestate of things ”I've read somewhere that it's always lucky to pick up a waif and stray”
We shouted at this Then Brian said--
”I rather think it was the waif and stray who picked you up, _kleintje_!
What price swi too far out, and the sharks, eh?”
”_Nouw ja_, that's true,” she conceded ”But you see, he was bringing us luck even then You couldn't get on without ain
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
DEVELOPMENTS
”Well, who's for church to-day?” said Brian, one fine Sunday led in to breakfast ”There's one, anyhow,” he appended, as Beryl appeared, clad in a riding habit ”Wouldn't you rather drive, Beryl? It's going to be hot”
”No I think I'll ride,” she answered, busying herself with the cups and saucers ”Meerkat wants so too lively even for , dad?”
”Make it rather a heavy load, won't it? Still, George h load too, for that heavy cart”
This was a suggestion which, overtly on the part of one of its hearers, privily on that of another, e because he preferred being driven, and the shade of the cart tilt, and a co over tenmount On that of e on this occasion, nor anybody else
I wanted the ride alone with Beryl In fact, I had ement e had heard the day before that there would be church service at Stacey's farm at the distance above stated, whither a parson had unexpectedly turned up
”Well, I don't think I shall go at all,” went on the last speaker ”I don't feel much up to it”
”You're very wicked, dad,” chipped in Iris, with a shake of the head
”Why, it's six weeks since last church Sunday”
”Quite right, kitten,” laughed her father, reaching out a hand to stroke her bright sunny hair ”Never mind You can behave twice as well as usual because I'm not there”
”Well, I'll stay with you”
”No, no I can't allow that,” he laughed ”Not for a moment”
In point of fact, the proposal had required sohly popular with the children by reason of the outing involved, and the gathering at the other end, wherefore Miss Iris suffered herself to be over-ruled quite placidly The said gatherings were of irregular occurrence; this scattered flock for that very reason being but little shepherded
Septiion or its principles; he went one better--he practised the was Beryl's province, he reckoned; while as for Brian and h to know our own ly If we chose to attend the soular ministrations at Stacey's we could do so; if not, that was our own business
To-day, especially, I very s in late autuet outside South Africa--no, not even in Italy--for where else will you find a sky so deeply, so vividly blue; such a sunlight sweep of gold upon rolling seas of green foliage; or open grass veldt studded with delicate-fronded mimosa; such an atmosphere too, which, with no sharp touch in it, is war vistas opened up--the rise of hills, near and far, green-crested, or stately with a crown of bronze-faced cliff, glowing red gold in the generous sunlight; against a background of ever-vivid unbroken blue S, our spirits were at the highest
”I don't ride Meerkat half enough,” she said ”Look how lively he is”