Part 36 (2/2)

She'd thrown her ar on my shoulder when she finished I took her over to the sofa, and made her sit down by the side of me

'Kate,' I said, 'this won't do There's neither rhyme nor reason about it I'h if you make a bolt of it now there'll be no end of a bobbery, and everybody's thoughts will be turned our way We'll be clean bowled--the lot of us Jied You and Jeanie will be left to the ht than ever you were in your lives Now, if you look at it, what's the good of spoiling the whole ji for a fancy notion about me? You and I are safe to be first-rate friends always, but it will be the ruin of both of us if we're fools enough to want to be ood husband, that's proud of you and gives you everything you can think of You took him yourself, and you're bound to stick to him Besides, think of poor Jeanie and Jim You'll spoil all their happiness; and, more than all--don't make any mistake--you knohat Jeanie thinks of a woman who leaves her husband for another ood cry and talk herself out, you can rew more reasonable That bit about Jeanie fetched her too She knew her own sister would turn against her--not harsh like, but she'd never be the sa as she lived

The la hall There was only one in this parlour, and it wasn't over bright I talked away, and last of all she ca; at any rate not to want to clear off from the old man now, but to wait till I caht, dick,' she said at last, 'and you show your sense in talking the way you have; though, if you loved as I do, you could not do it But, once more, there's no other woman that you're fonder of than ood!' and here she laughed bitterly 'If I thought that I should go mad'

What was I to do? I could not tell her that I loved Gracey Storefield ten ti I cared about her So I swore that I cared more for her than any woman in the whole world, and always had done so

This steadied her We parted good friends, and she pros She turned up the lah the outer door of the hall was left open night and day It was a e had at the Turon; no one troubled themselves to be particular about such trifles as furniture and so on

There was very little small robbery there; it was not worth while All petty stealers were ain

As I stood up to say good-bye a small note dropped out of my breast-pocket It had shi+fted so she pounced upon it, and before I could interfere opened and read it! It was Gracey Storefield's She stood for one one mad Then she threw the bit of paper down and traain

'So, dick Marston,' she cried out hoarsely, her very voice changed, 'you have tricked me a second time! Your own Gracey! your own Gracey! and this, by the date, at the very ti me persuade myself, like a fool, like an idiot that I was, that you still care for me! You have put the cap to your villainy now And, as God ood cause--to fear the woman you have once betrayed and twice scorned Look to yourself'

She gazed at me for a moment with a face from which every trace of expression had vanished, except that of the most devilish fury and spite--the face of an evil spirit more than of a wo her, though I cursed my own folly, as I had done a thousand times, that I had ever turned my head or spoken a word to her when first she crossed ot into the street soer was close at our heels I didn't doubt for ato happen? Was I the sa up Main Street a couple of hours ago?

All but off by the to-ood round sum in the bank; best part of a year's hard, honest work it was the price of, too

Then all kinds of thoughts cae was over, go in for revenge in cold blood? She could hardly strike h Jiht, kiss, and make friends, and call herself a madwoman--a reckless fool--as she'd often done before? No; she was in bitter earnest this ti off Once we had been caught napping, and once was enough

The first thing to do was to warn Ji of taking the box-seat for hi It seemed cruel to wake him, but it would have been crueller not to do so

I walked up the narrow track that led up to the little gully with thedown upon the white quartz rock The pathound through a 'blow' of it I threw a pebble at the door and waited till Jim came out

'Who's there? Oh! it's you, old man, is it? It's rather late for a call; but if you've coet up, and we'll have a smoke, anyhow'

'You dress yourself, Jim,' I said, 'as quick as you can Put on your hat and co up'

'My God!' says Jiot Jeanie

Don't go and telllike it,' I said 'If it hasn't coully together Jim lit his pipe while I told him shortly what had happened to me with Kate

'May the devil fly aith her!' said Jiely, 'for a bad-minded, bad-hearted jade; and then he'd wish he'd left her where she was She'd be no chop-down there even I think sometied her, andchild on the old woaway by the coach to-ht up the camp and let it all out before her teeant or Sir Ferdinand knows all about it now They'll lose no time, you ood-night to Jeanie?' says Jih o back and hold her in h the country like a wild dog once e, I could go and kill her with , selfish brute, I believe she'd poison herat Kate, Jim,' I said; 'that won't mend matters It's not the first time by a thousand that I've wished I'd never set eyes on her; but if I'd never seen her that day on St Kilda beach you'd never known Jeanie So there's evens as well as odds The thing is, what are we to do now?'

'Dashed if I know I feel stupid about tackling the bush again; and what can I do with Jeanie? I wish I was dead I've half a o and shoot that brute of a woman and then myself But then, poor Jeanie! poor little Jeanie! I can't stand it, dick; I shall gojust as he used when he was a boy His heart was a big soft one; and though he could face anything in the way of work or fighting that a man dare do, and do two men's share very like, yet his tears, rown man they used to pump up on all sorts of occasions