ld women do. She
had plenty to moan about.

"I wonder where your brother Tom is? We haven't heard from him for a
year now. He must be in trouble again; something tells me he must be in
trouble again."

Mary swung her hood off into her lap.

"Why do you worry about it, mother? What's the use?"

"I only wish I knew. I only wish I knew!"

"What good would that do? You know Tom went droving with Fred Dunn, and
Fred will look after him; and, besides, Tom's older now and got more
sense."

"Oh, you don't care--you don't care! You don't feel it, but I'm his
mother, and----"

"Oh, for God's sake, don't start that again, mother; it hurts me more
than you think. I'm his sister; I've suffered enough, God knows! Don't
make matters worse than they are!"

"Here comes father!" shouted one of the children outside, "'n' he's
bringing home a steer."

The old woman sat still, and clasped her hands nervously. Mary tried to
look cheerful, and moved the saucepan on the fire. A big, dark-bearded
man, mounted on a small horse, was seen in the twilight driving a steer
towards the cow-yard. A boy ran to let down the slip-rails.

Presently Mary and her mother heard the clatter of rails let down and
put up again, and a minute later a heavy step like the tread of a horse
was heard outside. The selector lumbered in, threw his hat in a
corner, and sat down by the table. His wife rose and bustled round with
simulated cheerfulness. Presently Mary hazarded--

"Where have you been, father?"

"Somewheers."

There was a wretched silence, lasting until the old woman took courage
to say timidly:

"So you've brought a steer, Wylie?"

"Yes!" he snapped; the tone seemed defiant.

The old woman's hands trembled, so that she dropped a cup. Mary turned a
shade paler.

"Here, git me some tea. Git me some TEA!" shouted Mr. Wylie. "I ain't
agoin' to sit here all night!"

His wife made what haste her nervousness would allow, and they soon sat
down to tea. Jack, the eldest son, was sulky, and his father muttered
something about knocking the sulks out of him with an axe.

"What's annoyed you, Jack?" asked his mother, humbly.

He scowled and made no answer.

The younger children--three boys and a girl--began quarrelling as soon
as they sat down. Wylie yelled at them now and then, and grumbled at the
cooking, and at his wife for not being able to keep the children quiet.
It was: "Marther! you didn't put no sugar in my tea." "Mother, Jimmy's
go