Part 6 (1/2)
”But that would be leaving mother to face them alone,” objected Eustace
Bob stared soleh
”Cheer up, old boy,” he exclaimed; ”you look as if you had a whole tribe at your heels this ht you had more spirit than to be scared by a pack of silly enuine, the look in Bob's eyes so quizzical, that Eustace felt suddenly abashed, and as if he had beenWith all his heart he wished he had not mentioned the subject to Bob--Bob whose opinion he valued above all others, except, perhaps, his own father's
CHAPTER III
THE BAREFOOT VISITOR
When Mr Orban caht with hiht to have brought with the parcel the day before
To Bob Cochrane, whose parents were Australian born and bred, this ; but he was so intis on the subject He sat silently puffing at his pipe while Mr and Mrs Orban read their letters Eustace, Nesta, and Peter had seized on soazines
Suddenly Mrs Orban gave a curious exclaly upon her
”Mother,her ?” asked Mr Orban
”I should just think it is news,” said Mrs Orban unsteadily
”Listen to this, Jack: 'Dorothy has been so very slow in her recovery fro that the doctor advises a long sea voyage at once, and we have decided to send her out to you by the first boat available We go up to London to-et her outfit'”
”Aunt Dorothy!” yelled the children ”Aunt Dorothy co piece of news, almost incredibly so The children had never seen any of their parents' people, as none of them had been over to Queensland They knew them only by name and the oft-repeated tales of childhood, which were their favourite stories of all Mr and Mrs Orban told
This was their mother's unmarried sister, Dorothy Chase, who lived with her father and mother in Herefordshi+re, in the ”old hoed so land was next best to going home, and the news produced the wildest coestions
”When will she come, mother? When can she be here?” came in chorus
”Well, I am sure I don't know,” Mrs Orban said; ”but it seems to me she will not be very far behind this letter”
”Not ht, I should think,” said Mr Orban ”You see they are hurrying her off”
”O !” Nesta exclaimed ”Do tell us how old Aunt Dorothy is!”
”Just twenty-three She was a little child when I last saw her, and I can never picture her grown up”
”Twenty-three is a decent age for girls,” said Eustace
”Out of a vast and varied experience speaks Sir Eustace,” laughed Bob--and Eustace reddened
”Twenty-three,” said Mr Orban ”Fancy little Dot twenty-three!