Norah of Billabong

Mary Grant Bruce

Description

Boarding school is over for the year. Norah is joyfully reunited with her family for the Christmas holidays at Billabong, but a fire destroys the stable and homestead at Billabong. Norah risks her life to find out why...

Sujets

• Fiction
• Animals

Informations

• Publié par: Rare Treasure Editions
• Date de parution: 06 novembre 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781774643365
• Langue: English

Extrait

Norah of Billabong
by Mary Grant Bruce

First published in 1913
This edition published by Rare Treasures
Victoria, BC Canada with branch offices in the Czech Republic and Germany
[e-mail]
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except in the case of excerpts by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Norah of Billabong





by MARY GRANT BRUCE
   To All the Kind People
     —Little and Big—
Who asked me for “More Norah.”

                      M. G. B.

CHAPTER I
BREAKING UP

When Sheelah in the morning
  Comes down the way,
It needs no more adorning
  To make it gay.

                 — Victor J. Daley.
A VERY tall boy came up the gravel path ofBeresford House. It was “breaking up”day, and an unwonted air of festivity and smartnesswas evident, even to the eye of a stranger. Thegarden looked as though no leaf had ever been out ofplace, no sacrilegious footmark ever imprinted on thesoft mould of its beds, where masses of flowers stillbade defiance to the heat of an Australian December.The paths were newly raked; the freshly mown lawnswere carpets of emerald, soft underfoot and smoothas bowling greens. Aloft, on the square grey tower,fluttered the school flag—a blue banner, with a devicelaboriously woven by the fingers of the sewingclass, and indirectly responsible for many impositions,since it was beyond the power of the sewingclass to work with its several heads so close togetheras the task demanded, and yet refrain from talking.It was a banner of great magnificence, and the schoolwas justly proud of it. Only the sewing class regardedit with what might be termed a mingled eye.
It was early afternoon—too early for guests to beseriously thinking of arriving. A couple of motorswere drawn up in the shade of a big Moreton Bayfig; but they belonged to parents who lived at adistance, and had come earlier in the day, to talksolemnly to the head mistress, and then to whiskemancipated daughters away to an hotel for lunch—whichnecessitated a speedy whisking back, so thatthe daughters might be apparelled in white, inreadiness for the afternoon’s ceremonials. In thegarden, little groups of girls might be seen alreadyclad in festive raiment and walking with a seemlinessthat in itself showed that this day was differentfrom all other days. They turned interested glancesupon the newcomer, who, resenting the gaze deeply,stalked on up the path, his straw hat tilted over hisbrown face. Girls in general had not come much inhis way. It was distinctly embarrassing to run thegauntlet of so many frankly curious eyes.
“There’s some, one’s brother,” said a red-haireddamsel, surveying the stranger across a bush of NewZealand flax. “Yours, Laura?”
“Mine?” said Laura, regretfully. “Not much—mineis fat. He’s a dear, of course, but his figure’ssomething awful! I’d be frightfully proud if helooked like that!”
“I wonder who he belongs to,” said the red-hairedgirl, with a cheerful lack of grammar. “Doesn’the look miserable—he knows we’re talking abouthim!” She giggled with wicked enjoyment. Thegiggle turned to a whistle. “Gracious! Just lookat young Norah Linton!”
Two younger girls, with arms linked and headsclose together, had come into view in a distant cornerof the garden, walking decorously, as befitted theirwhite dresses. It was the taller of the two, a brown-facedgirl of fifteen, with dark curls and extremelylong slim legs, who had caught sight of the boywalking towards the house, and had promptly actedas though electrified. She relinquished her companion’sarms, uttered an incoherent exclamation,and dashed wildly across the lawn, taking the flowerbed that bordered it with a flying leap. The soundof the racing feet made the boy swing round quickly.Then a smile broadened on his face, and his eyestwinkled. They pumped each other’s hands enthusiastically.
“Oh, Wally!” said Norah, breathlessly. “Oh,you old brick!”
Wally Meadows laughed outright.
“You don’t know what a blue funk I’ve been in,”he said. “This is a horribly scary place to come toalone—and I’ve been picturing you made as primand proper as all these girls seem to be. But you’renot!”
“Indeed, I’m not,” Norah answered. “And nomore are they!”
“Aren’t they, really?” asked Wally, much interested.“Well, they look it; there’s a girl over therewith red hair who looks nearly too good to be true”—whereinMr. Meadows showed as much penetrationas is usually given to man. “You don’t mean to saythat they’re all accustomed to getting across a flowerbed in your fashion, Norah?”
“Oh, I’ll get into a dreadful row if Miss Winterhappened to see me, I expect!” Norah said. “It’sagainst the rules, of course—but I had to run or toyell, or I’d have missed you—and it’s riskier to yell.Oh, Wally, I am glad to see you!”
“So am I,” said Wally, heartily—“to see you,I mean. You’ve grown immense, too, Norah.”
“Yes, haven’t I? All my frocks are too short, andI know Dad will say I’ve put my feet too far throughthem. Oh, Wally, have you seen Dad—and Jim?”
“Saw them yesterday. They ought to be herepretty soon—but my brother motored me down, soI didn’t come with them. Norah—there’s a girllooking at me, and if you don’t take her away I shallscream!”
“Why, that’s Jean Yorke,” said Norah, wheeling.“She’s my chum, and you’ve got to be extra niceto her, ’cause she is coming home with me for theholidays.”
“Then she deserves any one’s kind sympathy,”said Wally, solemnly. He advanced upon Jeanwith outstretched hand and a smile that went far toput that somewhat shy individual at her ease, whileNorah murmured a haphazard introduction.
Jean was a short and rather thickset person, withblue eyes and a freckled nose, and a square, honestface. Neither chum could have been regarded aspretty. They were wholesome-looking girls—alikein the trim neatness that is characteristic of theAustralian schoolgirl; and alike also in the qualityof sturdy honesty that looked straight at the worldfrom blue eyes and grey. Jean was fair, her thickmasses of hair gathered in more tightly than Norah’scurly brown mop ever permitted—whereat Norahwas frankly envious. She was also wont to be apologetic,because, although a year the younger, shetowered over Jean by half a head. The unfulfilledambition of Jean’s dreams was to be tall and slender,and Norah bore a lasting grudge against Fate fordenying so moderate a longing on her friend’s part.She watched her anxiously for signs of growth, and atfrequent intervals measured her height, while tactfullyignoring what she herself would have called hergirth.
Across the introduction came a cold voice.
“Your brother, I presume, Norah?”
Both girls jumped.
“No—only it’s all the same, Miss Winter,” Norahexplained, lucidly. “It’s Wally Meadows—mybrother’s chum.” At which Wally removed his hatand said: “How do you do?” with such fervourthat it seemed that his peace of mind hung upon MissWinter’s answer. That severe person’s coldness wasa trifle modified as she answered, but it was Arcticagain when she turned back to Norah.
“I saw you crossing the grass—and the flowerbed!” she remarked. “Such conduct is inexcusable,Norah—I am amazed at you. The garden is not thehockey field, nor is the arrival of any friend to be thesignal for such conduct!”
Norah was scarlet.
“I’m awfully—I mean I am very—sorry, truly,Miss Winter!” she said. “I forgot all about everythingwhen I saw Wally. You see, he’s nearly thesame as Jim, and I hadn’t seen him for ten months!I won’t do it again. And Jean never did it at all!”
“I could see that for myself,” said Miss Winter,drily—whereat Jean became even more scarlet thanNorah. “However, it is too late in the term forimpositions—which is fortunate for you!” Therecame into the culprit’s eye an irrepressible twinkle,and the teacher relaxed a little. “Ah, well—it’snearly holiday time,” she said, smiling. “But,Norah, dear—do remember that you are overfifteen!”
“I will, Miss Winter—I truly will,” said thecriminal. “I’ll behave beautifully—see if Idon’t!——”
The iron gate clanged, and she glanced round withthe quick instinctiveness that never leaves the bush-bred.A tall man and a lad almost as tall came intoview, and at sight of them Norah’s “behaviour”suddenly fell away from her, and with a little crythat was half a sob, she fled to meet them. Thegravel scattered under her trim-shod feet; her longlegs twinkled with amazing swiftness. Then thebig man put out his arms to her, and she flung herselfinto them.
“Oh, Daddy—Daddy!” said Norah. “Oh, Jim!Oh-h!” Words failed her.
“My girl!” said David Linton. Over her headhe looked at the teacher, and found that she washuman. He smiled at her in friendly fashion.
“We try to teach Norah deportment,” she said,greeting him, and laughing, while big Jim huggedhis sister frankly, totally unabashed by the amusedglances from various parts of the garden. “But Iam afraid the effect isn’t very evident on breaking upday!”
“I’m quite certain we’re demoralizing influences,”he told her. “But what can you expect, from theBack of Beyond? We’ll try to make her rememberthe deportment when we get her back to the station,Miss Winter. At present, you must make allowances.”
Miss Winter thawed amazingly under the influenceof the quiet voice, deep and courteous, and theLinton smile, which was a wonderfully pleasant one.It was very frequent upon the face of her pupil, andhad at all times a tendency to upset discipline; andnow the same smile appeared, if more rarely, on thebronzed giants, father and son, who confronted her