An Australian Lassie   By: Lilian Turner

AN AUSTRALIAN LASSIE

BY

LILIAN TURNER

AUTHOR OF "THE PERRY GIRLS," ETC.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY A. J. JOHNSON

WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED LONDON AND MELBOURNE

TO MY STEPFATHER CHARLES COPE

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I WYGATE SCHOOL 9

II THE PEARL SEEKERS 20

III "THE DAILY ROUND THE COMMON TASK" 30

IV GHOSTS 41

V JOHN BROWN 59

VI MONDAY MORNING 68

VII "CAREW BROWN" 79

VIII THE FIGHT 86

IX DOROTHEA'S FRIENDS 101

X RICHES OR RAGS 112

XI THE ARTIST BY THE WAYSIDE 123

XII BETTY IN THE LION'S DEN 134

XIII "IF I WERE ONLY YOU!" 147

XIV JOHN'S PLANS 162

XV ON THE ROAD 177

XVI THE NOTE ON THE PINCUSHION 189

XVII IN THE CITY 201

XVIII ALMA'S SHILLING 214

XIX THE BENT SHOULDERED OLD GENTLEMAN 224

XX THE DAY AFTER SCHOOL 234

XXI "GOOD BYE, GOOD BYE" 245

CHAPTER I

WYGATE SCHOOL

"Emily Underwood, 19; Stanley Smith, 20; Cyril Bruce, 21; Nellie Underwood, 22; Elizabeth Bruce, 23 bottom of the class!"

Mr. Sharman took off his eyeglasses, rubbed them, and put them on again. Then he looked very hard at the little girl at the end of the furthest form, who was hanging her head and industriously biting a slate pencil.

"Stand up, Elizabeth Bruce. Put down your pencil and fold your hands behind you."

Elizabeth did as she was told instantly. Her rosy face looked anxiously into the master's stern one.

"Yesterday morning," the master said, "you were head of the class. This morning I find your name at the end of the list. How was that?"

Elizabeth hung her head again, and her dimpled chin hid itself behind the needlework of her pinafore.

A small girl, a few seats higher, held up her hand and waved it impatiently.

"Well?" asked the master.

"Please sir, she was promptin' Cyril Bruce."

"Silence!" thundered the master sternly. Then his gaze went back to the bent head of the little culprit.

"Stand upon the form," he said, "and tell me in a clear voice how it is you went down twenty two places in one afternoon."

The rosiness left the little girl's face. She raised her head, and her brown eyes looked pleadingly into the master's, her white face besought him, for one second. Then she scrambled up to the form by the aid of the desk in front of her.

Down the room near the master's desk stood a new boy, an awkward looking figure of twelve years old or so, waiting to be given a place in the class. Elizabeth knew that her disgrace was meant as a solemn warning to him. So she tossed back the short dark curls that hardly reached her neck, and looking angrily at him, said

"I was top and I pulled Nelly Martin's hair, and was sent down three. Then I was fourth, and my pencil squeaked my slate and I was sent down six. Then Cyril had to spell 'giraffe,' and I said 'one r and two f's,' and she sent me to the bottom."

All of this speech was directed to the new boy who stood on one leg and grew red. It was an immense relief to him when the master rapped the front desk with his cane and said

"Look at me, miss. Whom do you mean by 'she'?"