Page 90 - An Australian Lassie

Dot ran to her and kissed her.

"Tt's all right," she said. "You may talk to me. T asked mother, and she says yes until T go."

"T can't when you're gone," said Betty; but she brightened up very much.

And she thought it very kind of Dot to have asked her mother to break the rule of silence, if it were only for an
hour.

"T thought you were going to wear your hair on the top of your head," she said, surveying Dot's plait
somewhat contemptuously.

"Mother won't let me," said Dot; "she says sixteen's too young."

"Why sixteen is old," said Betty, "and you've left school."

"T know. And mother was married at sixteen. But she says she wants me to keep my girlhood a little longer
than she kept hers."

"Hem," said Betty.

"I don't want to," said Dot, and added virtuously, "but we can't do just as we like even with our own hair."

"I shall," said Betty, and gave her morsel of a plait a convincing pull. "Wasn't my hair as long as yours once;
and didn't T cut it off because T wanted to?"

Then Dot bethought her of the wisdom of sixteen, and the foolishness of twelve and a bit, and she slipped her
arm as lovingly around her little sister as she was wont to do around any of her friends at Westmead House.

"Dear little Betty," she said, "promise me, you poor little thing, to be good all the time T am away."

But Betty, unused to caresses, slipped away.

"You always are away," she said. "T'll be as good as T want to. T wonder how good you'd be if suddenly you
had to stay at home and wash up and dust."

The picture was quite unenticing to Dot. Wash up and dust and stay at home! She moved slowly to the door,
feeling very sorry for Betty.

"T must go now," she said. "All this is just a finish up to my school time. Afterwards T shall have to stay at
home and be eldest daughter while you have your time. Mother says you may come to the gate and see me off
if you like."

But she was genuinely sorry for Betty all the way down the hall to the front door, and her heart gave her an
unpleasant pang when Betty sprang after her and thrust a shilling into her hand.

"Tt's my own," whispered Betty; "take it; it will buy something; T earned it. Don't be afraid; T'll earn plenty
more some day," and she ran away down the path to the gate.

"Dear little Betty," said Dot, and slipped the shilling into her purse. "T'll buy something for her with it."

They all came down to the gate to see the little traveller off.