Tiny Luttrell

ina both the cause and the awakening itself seemed incredibly familiar. So had she lain and listened in the past, as each day broke in her brain. When she opened her

Christina found it to lie where she was, hearing the old noises (the horses were run up before she rose), seeing the old things, and dreaming that the last two years were themselves a dream. Her life as it stood was a much less charming composition than several possible arrangements of the same material, impossible now. This is not strange, but it was a little strange that neither sweet impossibilities nor bitter actualities fasci

oughts dwelt more on the young manager of the station than on the station itself, that only illustrates the difference between an association and an associate. There is human interest in the one, but it does not follow that Tiny Luttrell was immoderately interested in Jack Swift. Even to herself she denied that she had ever done more than like him very much. To some "nons

a said aloud. "It's what we all expect of him. I

hness justified their length; and the crux of a woman's beauty, her nose, happened to be Christina's best point. Her eyes were a sweeter one. Their depth of blue is seen only under dark blue skies, and they seemed the darker for her hair. But with all her good features, because she was not an English girl, but an Australian born and bred, she had no complexion to speak of, being pale and slightly freckled. Yet no one held that t

e many; certainly it was for this reason she did not let him see her disappointment. He told her that he was going with her father to the out-station. That was fourteen miles away. It meant a lonely day for Christina at the homestead. So she said that a lonely day there was just what she wanted, to overhaul the dear old place all by herself, and to revel in it like a child without feeling that she was being watched. But she told a franker

gh his diffidence irritated her, she was quite as glad to see h

itterly; but his bitterness was against a

ter morning; the sand in the yard was like powdered cinders, and you can't go poking about very long when everything you touch is red hot. Then one felt tired. Mrs. Duncan took pity on me and came and talked to m

n cutting his

civil; I think he con

o! Tell me, what do

rimace. "He's such a little

d Swift, laughing; "and he's not half a b

s he missed the army at home, front door and back, in spite of his cr

man loves. "You laugh, but I like the fellow. He's much more use-forgive my saying so-than Herbert ever would have been-here. At all e

ened so that he noticed the difference, for he was becoming sensitive to a slig

aloud, and he saw her eyes turn hard again, so that his own glan

him your sympath

it's pleasant to have somebody to think about at a lonely place like this; and if she's thinking about him it's because he's away in the wilderness and there'

your experi

an to give up thinking about the young woman, that's all,

was his ignorance, and secondly, because, literally speaking, he was not himself situated as the young Englishman was, which was merely

etly; "he's the frankest little fellow in the world; a

own on him a gaze of

f advice does he

with effect, for he was honestly annoyed, and man

are you

for being too

m hard. I'm as hard as nai

as strengthened by his firmness; for he was go

my temper," she

. He disappeared.

but she probably respected him more, and t

t he was properly in love, and, being so, it was not until the girl stopped writing to him that he honestly repented the lengths to which he had been encouraged to go. It is easy to be blameless through the post, but they had kept up their perfectly blameless correspondence for a very few weeks when Christina ceased firing; she was to have gone on forever. He was just persistent enough to make it evident that her silence was intentional; then the silence became complete, and it was never again broken. For if Swift's self-control was limited, his self-respect was considerable, and this made him duly r

wanted, and what would not do for him instead. He wanted a great deal, but he meant having it or nothing. This time she should give him her heart before he took her hand; he swore it through his teeth; and

e went or not; she would do much better by marrying him and coming back to her old home in the bush. That home she loved, whether she loved him or not; in it she had grown up simple and credulous and sweet, with a wicked side that only picked out her sweetness; in it he believed that her life and his might yet be beautiful. The feeling made him sometimes rejoice that she had fallen a little out of love with her life, so that he might show her with all the effect of contrast what life and love really were; it thrilled his heart with generous throbs, it brought the moisture to his honest eyes, and it came to him oftener and with growing force as the days went on, by reason of certain signs they brought forth in Christiana. Her voice lost its bitterness in his ears, not because he had grown used to notes that had jarred him in the beginning, but because the discordant strings came gradually into

xpected of the self-contained suitor, with whom it is only a question of time, and the longer the time the stronger the outburst. But Christina was not carried away, for she did not quite love him, and the opportunity was a bad one, and Swift's honest method had not improved it. She li

ung fellow eagerly. "But yo

hinking of two years ago, that was mere nonsense. I don'

time you were gone. Since you have been back, during these few days, I have got to love

accept his fate quite as he had meant to accept it. Her kindness had

sure?"

!" he echo

asy to dece

not de

sy to imagin

has loved you always, and never any girl but you. If you can't be

m the whim which they were slowl

xperience of them. Yet I am sorry to find you so different from t

e was full of pain, and he could not be

ever dreamt of b

amed as he watched it. Ther

engaged; are

far fr

are for me yet. I'll make you. I'll wait for you. You don't know

lves gave the girl a thrill of pleasure and of pride; but also a pang; for at that moment she felt t

you mind?" re

but you can guess

ns! I wanted you to enjoy yourself. What does it matter how you've enjoyed your

I did fall in love," she said slowly-"at any ra

seen so much c

added, "I beg your pardon; of course I have no bus

mind telling you the whole thing, except the man's name. And yet," she added rather wistfully,

mpulsively. "I would rather you didn't tell me a word, if you don't min

t get ou

mean-that t

was

d

g. Stealing a look at him, her eyes fell fir

ste to defe

ou wouldn't blame him anymore than I do. He was quite a boy, too; I don

gland-that's why you h

y suddenly. It wasn't his fault. He was

sky like some uncouth hieroglyph. To Swift henceforward, on all his lonely journeys hither, it was

d him here,"

give him. And I have got over it, quite; but the worst of it i

knew he deserved. "I have always been the same. I have never though

this,

to disap

r you; only come back free, and I will win you, too, in the end. You are happier here than anywhere else, but you don't know what it is to be really happy as I should

h of it, or you would never give me another thought. I still hope you will quite give up thinking about me, and-and try to g

he temptation to do so. Even to a proud spirit it is difficult to take No when the voice that says it is kind and sorrowful

se he might have reminded her with more force and particularity of their former relations; and playing like that he might have won, but he would rather have lost. Perhaps he did not recognize the right moment as such when it fell; but at least

and the manager were thrown together for the last time. She offered to sing a song, and he thanked her gratefully enough. But he listened to her plaintive songs from a far corner of

hirping of the everlasting crickets. Christina raised her face to Swift; her eyes were wet in the moonlight; there was even a slight tremor of the red lips; and one hand hung down invitingly at her side. She did not love him, but she was beginning to wish that she could love him; and she did love the place. Had

ing to England? Enjoy myself! I

ook matche