king use of the unused spare room, finesse did not avail; and a violent dispute broke out

side herself with grief and anxiety, that she was bringing her infant, which would not thrive, to town, to consult the doctors there. And Mary straightway forgot

of the room and shut himself up in the surgery, where he stayed for the rest of the e

tter abuse of Purdy, ending with: "No one belongin

u to blame yourself, and your own rashness and impatience. Who but you would ever have trusted a man like Wilding?

likes and dislikes are taken more account of. You consider every

and I have the right to s

riend, and I'm not going to desert her now she's in tr

f she does, I go!"

He was frightened; his heart beat pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat. And when he heard somebody begin to cry, he just couldn't help it, he had to cry, too. Till a door went and quic

Keb!" and leaving the region of warehouses - poor John's among them - made her way on foot up the rise to Collins Street. This was her invariable habit nowadays, if she hadn't the children with her: was one of the numerous little economies she felt justified in practising . . . and holding her tongue about. Richard, of course, would have snorted with disapproval. HIS wife to be tramping th

ozen times to the minute, every one who entered fixing her with a hard and curious stare - wish that Tilly had picked on a quieter hotel, one mo

of wifehood, high-bosomed, high-coloured, high-spirited, she seemed to have

! What you must

an unfortunate accident, they had been forced to change the wet-nurse. Since then they had tried one nurse after another; had tried handfeeding, goat's milk, patent mixtures; but to no purpose. T

d give my life's b

MacMullen? Wh

the long and short of it is, if the wasting isn't stopped, Baby will die." And, the ominous word spoken, Tilly's composure gave way: the tears

rry, love. It comes of seeing your dear old face again

d on you . . . and when y

nother. Other people can get 'em b

well, you know, they're all right if you break your leg or have something definite the matter with you, like mumps or scarlet fever - or if you want a tumour cut out. But otherwise, well, they never seem to allow

n a rabbit, Richard . . . with the face of an old, old man - no, more like a poor starved little monkey!") when, too, the f

inkled face, her mother eyes full of

this time the gesture bespoke neither resignat

think so

ets too bad, 'e just claps on 'is 'at and flies out of the 'ouse - to get away from it. Men are like that. Only the rosy side of things for them! And, Purd, 'e must be free. The smallest jerk of the reins and it's all up. As for a sick child . . . and even though it's 'is own - oh, I've learnt SOMETHING about men

. This, too. Oh, the gilt was off p

ar, and now she said: "Tilly, there's something about

ly fiercely. "'E's starv

his mouth. What I'm wondering is . . . Richard can't, of course, touch the case, now it's in MacMullen's hands. But I'm going home to tell him all about it. He used to have gr

ny one can put spunk i

he tale. "I shouldn't wonder if star

u really think . . . Though - I must say whe

tience. Now I don't need to give YOU my opinion of the wet-nurse system. None the less, if the case were mine, I should urge the

of myself - go on me knees down Sturt Street if need be; but back

. A further week brought a second communication to the breakfast-table, scrawled in a shaky hand and scrappily put together, but containing the glad news that the child had actually gained a few ounces in weight, and, bett

chard proved to be in one of his worst, early-morning moo

o such a pass that people can't even feel grateful to you, without offending you. Y

she read with wrinkled brows, an occasional surreptitious glance at Richard, and more than one smothered: "Tch!" She

l say to this? It's not my

et, frowned at the writing, and tilted it to the correct

etter

R MRS.

NS TO HER WARDROBE. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO ACCOMPANY HER, THOUGH I SHALL HOPE TO BID HER "AU REVOIR" BEFORE SHE SAILS, A FORTNIGHT HENCE. MAY I TRESPASS UPON YOUR GOODN

REGARDS TO Y

BELIE

TRULY

Y OC

me, it's to be your duty t

fy had been deeply interested in the sad story of Aunt Tilly's little one and its struggle for life.) "Now, you chicks, Lallie untie Lucie's bib and all three run out and play. - NOT before

plain as the nos

Agnes; but I've got the children to think of. I shouldn't like THEM to get an inkling

med of your acquaintance. The news of its size is rapidly spreading. And if people once get the idea they can use

tand, instead of making such a mystery of it. For we ca

if we manage t

ne exaggeration

ve got to truckle to him. Only don't ask me to meet HIM over the head of it. I've no i

in when we first came out! But you can't expect them to go on ask

of her little house, she had seen approach a radiant vision in riding-habit, curls and feathers. What a lovely creature Agnes had been! . . . how full of kindliness and charm . . . and all to end in this: a poor little corpul

ped to Melbourne literally without a penny in her pocket. Wherever they went, Mary had to be purse-bearer, Agnes following meekly and shamelessly at her heels. An intolerable position for any man to put his wife in! It was true she had CARTE BLANCHE at the big drapery stores; but all she bought - down to the last handkerchief - was entered on a bill for Mr. Henry's scrutiny. Did she wish to make a present - and she was

f children; and, of a morning, while Mary was shaking up the beds or baking pastry, she would sit on the balcony watching the three

pride, without shame - so long, that was, as she was not startled or made afraid. The company of the children held no alarms for her; but early in the

presence, attending to her wants at table, listening courteously to her few diffident opinions, till the little woman's eyes filled

been bullied half

r look with more lenience on Mr. Henry's precautions. Once, Lucie had a touch of croup in the night and could not be left, so that Agnes must needs go alone to her dressmaker; and once came an invitation to a luncheon-party in which Mary was not included. Each time a wagonette was provided for Mrs. Henry from door to door, and paid to wait and bring her home; while

Mamma, looking funny, rummaged in a trunk. Going to bed in the daytime? Why? Had she been naughty? And was Mamma cross with her, too? She was with him. She said: "Go away at once!" and "Naughty boy!" before he was hardly inside. But Aunt Agnes was funn

whatever do yo

ciation - the amused interest in "what in all the world the child would say next." He was also spurred on by the attention of the Dumplings, wh

she said Auntie Agnes

wife met; and Mahony threw out his ha

you repeat such a nasty, vulgar thing!

. He was dumbfounded, and went red to the roots of his hair. What had he said? Why was Mamma so cross? Why was it more wro

matters, Mary; but that the child shou

possible for me never to let the children out of my sight

ipt of the letter fixing the day, she began openly to shake and tremble. "You won't mention to Henry, Mary . . . I mean . . . oh, love, you understand?" and all Mary's tactful assurances did not quieten

parated for a while. But that he can let ANY business interfere with seeing her off on so long a j

here to do his dirty work for him. He pr

were flowers in it, and several boxes of biscuits and oranges for the voyage. But Agnes did not so much as look round; she only cried and cried; and, when the time for

ack. Oh, it's a burning shame! Why

rld. He has chosen the one polite and irreproachabl

rely she won't be able

e was, was shewn when the cook, in turning out the spare room, came upon a regular nest of bottles - empty m

TEMPS: and shortly after, she received the gift of a photograph-album, bound in vellum and stamped in gold wi

to - why, cab-hire alone must have run into pounds - over HIS wife, whom we did not invit

t one item of many. In the course of a long day's shopping Agnes and she had needed lunch and refreshment - manlike he no doubt imagined them living on air! - and not infrequently Agnes had fancied some

's assistance in going down-hi

AT ANY TIME, MY DEAR MRS. MAHONY, AN OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN YOUR GREAT KINDNESS