Part 10 (1/2)
”How do you do, Nellie?” she said simply, as she held out her hand
”And this is the other--Ailleen,” he added, before Nellie could answer
Ailleen, looking into the clear, open eyes which looked so steadily into hers, and were so different from what she had pictured to herself, took the extended hand
”I aot--I'm so sorry,” she added quickly
”Dearie, dearie,” the blind wo her other hand over Ailleen's, ”it's very kind of you to say that, very kind of you There's ht whether it hurt me or not Come, sit ye down, dearie, and tella chair”
But willy, convoyed by Nellie, had passed out of sight and hearing
”I will sit here,” Ailleen exclairound from the verandah
”Ay, ay,” the other woman said ”He's no sooner here than he's away
Tell one to get soood, unselfish boy”
Ailleen looked into the open eyes, sightless and expressionless, and felt a twinge of pity for the lonely heart who spoke so fondly of her boy--the boy who had spoken of her to Ailleen, and said that she was ill-teuileless herself, had sy that soether, had heard the abrupt entleness of the mother to the son, and in a trice there had come a dual sense--attraction to theto her, looking out across the level, sun-scorched paddocks to the fringe of standing bush, with the purple looular tops of the guainst the blue of the sky, and with the chroh the still air--just a glirows so dear in its simplicity and colour--she was more and more attracted to the wo, and waited so long and so patiently in darkness which was more than solitude The si any reference to the absent Tony--and the blind woht with swift syht at any moment be fatherless also
”And you have no relatives--no friends?” she asked gently
”Oh, heaps of friends, but no relatives,” the girl answered
”And if--supposing you were left alone----”
”Well, I can work,” Ailleen added, as the other paused
”Ay, dearie; but you'd be lonely, and it's bad to be lonely when you're young”
”Then I'll cohed lightly
The woman turned her head quickly and held out her hand, as a sentle, rippled over her face, and alhtless eyes
”You will, dearie? Ay, and you shall Come to me, dearie, when you are alone Make Barellan your home whenever you need one”
As she spoke dickson and Nellie came round the corner of the verandah
The shi+fty eyes of the one twinkled for a lee which was not beautiful to see; the dark eyes of the other glittered
”She never said that to me,” Nellie said under her breath ”You'll have to tell her--or I shall”