Page 20 - An Australian Lassie

Cyril was on the outermost edge of the grove, and with danger behind him, and Betty and Baby before his
eyes, safe and unhurt, a wave of very ill-temper swept over him. He refused to have part in any more of
Betty's "silly games," left her to carry the baby unaided, and told her she had spoilt his chance of ever being
adopted. But he was all the time wishing passionately that he too had "done and dared"--that he had not
crouched there among the trees, afraid and trembling. A small inner voice, that spoke to him very sharply after
such occasions, told him contemptuously, that he had been more afraid than a girl; that he had been a coward;
and as soon as he reached their small lamp-lit home, he ran away from silent Betty and the babbling baby, to
his own bedroom, to cry in loneliness over this second self who had done the wrong.

And Betty stole silently into her bedroom. The dining room door was still closed, and those quiet elder ones
were having their "pleasant" evening. She undressed the baby, and kissed her over and over, then put her into
her little cot and gave her a dimpled thumb to suck. And she herself cuddled up very close to her, and began to
cry too. So much for all her show of bravery now.

And a small voice spoke to her also, and showed her the seamy side of this great deed of hers. Told her that no
one else in all the world would have dreamed of doing so wrong a thing; pointed out her mother and father
and pretty Dot, Mrs. and Mr. Sharman as examples of great goodness. When the baby was placidly sleeping,
she sat upright on the end of her mother's bed in her earnestness to "see" if any of those righteous five would
be guilty of the wickedness of becoming ghosts to frighten an old man. She would have felt easier at once if
she could have convinced herself that they would; but she could only see each of them rounding eyes of
horror at her, and her sobs, broke out afresh.

The door opened and Cyril came into the darkness, whispering and whimpering,--

"T didn't play fair, Betty," he said--"T wish T'd played fair--T----"

"Oh," said Betty sobbingly--"Oh, Cyril, you're ever so much nobler than T am. You wouldn't frighten an old
man, neither. Oh, T wish T was as good as you!"

Whereat a sweet sense of well-doing stole over Cyril. "Never mind," he said cheerfully, "do as T do another
time."

"There won't be another time," said Betty. "T'm going to turn over a new leaf, and be as good as if T was grown
up."