Nevertheless, the eyes
were shining and the curves of the lips were all upward. Plainly the
day had brought her a tonic; yet the past six months had told upon
the girl pitilessly.
"But, for God's sake, when is it all to end?" he burst out suddenly.
"Tired of the service, Mr. Weldon?" she asked gravely, but with no
accent of reproach.
"Not tired of my own. But the worst of it all comes back on you
women, and that is maddening."
She smiled down at him, and the light in her eyes deepened and grew
yet more womanly.
"It is all we can do to help, Mr. Weldon. Let us take what share we
can. The work is hard, hard and discouraging; but--" involuntarily
she glanced at Carew's happy, handsome face; "but now and then it
brings its own reward."
The short silence was broken only by Kruger Bobs, scraping his spoon
along his fast-emptying plate. Then Alice spoke again.
"You hear often from Cooee, Mr. Weldon?"
"Now and then. Not often."
"Did you know that she may come to us, after Christmas?"
"No," he said alertly. "To Johannesburg?"
She nodded.
"We need her, and my aunt has almost given her consent. The need
grows greater, every day; we can't hold out much longer, unless we
can have more help.
Pages:
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202