She said it was a pity you hadn't a mother or a sister to look after you --it was a pity that something couldn't be done for you,and I said it was,but I was afraid that nothing could be done.I told her that I was doing all I could to keep you straight.'
I knew enough of Jack to know that most of this was true.
And so she only pitied me after all.I felt as if I'd been courting her for six months and she'd thrown me over --but I didn't know anything about women yet.
`Did you tell her I was in jail?'I growled.
`No,by Gum!I forgot that.But never mind I'll fix that up all right.
I'll tell her that you got two years'hard for horse-stealing.
That ought to make her interested in you,if she isn't already.'
We smoked a while.
`And was that all she said?'I asked.
`Who?--Oh!'Possum,'said Jack rousing himself.`Well --no;let me think --We got chatting of other things --you know a married man's privileged,and can say a lot more to a girl than a single man can.I got talking nonsense about sweethearts,and one thing led to another till at last she said,"I suppose Mr Wilson's got a sweetheart,Mr Barnes?"'
`And what did you say?'I growled.
`Oh,I told her that you were a holy terror amongst the girls,'said Jack.
`You'd better take back that tray,Joe,and let us get to work.'
I wouldn't take back the tray --but that didn't mend matters,for Jack took it back himself.
I didn't see Mary's reflection in the window again,so I took the window out.
I reckoned that she was just a big-hearted,impulsive little thing,as many Australian girls are,and I reckoned that I was a fool for thinking for a moment that she might give me a second thought,except by way of kindness.Why!young Black and half a dozen better men than me were sweet on her,and young Black was to get his father's station and the money --or rather his mother's money,for she held the stuff (she kept it close too,by all accounts).
Young Black was away at the time,and his mother was dead against him about Mary,but that didn't make any difference,as far as I could see.
I reckoned that it was only just going to be a hopeless,heart-breaking,stand-far-off-and-worship affair,as far as I was concerned --like my first love affair,that I haven't told you about yet.
I was tired of being pitied by good girls.You see,I didn't know women then.
If I had known,I think I might have made more than one mess of my life.
Jack rode home to Solong every night.I was staying at a pub some distance out of town,between Solong and Haviland.
There were three or four wet days,and we didn't get on with the work.
I fought shy of Mary till one day she was hanging out clothes and the line broke.It was the old-style sixpenny clothes-line.
The clothes were all down,but it was clean grass,so it didn't matter much.
I looked at Jack.
`Go and help her,you capital Idiot!'he said,and I made the plunge.
`Oh,thank you,Mr Wilson!'said Mary,when I came to help.
She had the broken end of the line and was trying to hold some of the clothes off the ground,as if she could pull it an inch with the heavy wet sheets and table-cloths and things on it,or as if it would do any good if she did.But that's the way with women --especially little women --some of 'em would try to pull a store bullock if they got the end of the rope on the right side of the fence.
I took the line from Mary,and accidentally touched her soft,plump little hand as I did so:it sent a thrill right through me.
She seemed a lot cooler than I was.
Now,in cases like this,especially if you lose your head a bit,you get hold of the loose end of the rope that's hanging from the post with one hand,and the end of the line with the clothes on with the other,and try to pull 'em far enough together to make a knot.
And that's about all you do for the present,except look like a fool.
Then I took off the post end,spliced the line,took it over the fork,and pulled,while Mary helped me with the prop.I thought Jack might have come and taken the prop from her,but he didn't;he just went on with his work as if nothing was happening inside the horizon.
She'd got the line about two-thirds full of clothes,it was a bit short now,so she had to jump and catch it with one hand and hold it down while she pegged a sheet she'd thrown over.I'd made the plunge now,so I volunteered to help her.I held down the line while she threw the things over and pegged out.As we got near the post and higher I straightened out some ends and pegged myself.Bushmen are handy at most things.We laughed,and now and again Mary would say,`No,that's not the way,Mr Wilson;that's not right;the sheet isn't far enough over;wait till I fix it,'&c.
I'd a reckless idea once of holding her up while she pegged,and I was glad afterwards that I hadn't made such a fool of myself.
`There's only a few more things in the basket,Miss Brand,'I said.
`You can't reach --I'll fix 'em up.'
She seemed to give a little gasp.
`Oh,those things are not ready yet,'she said,`they're not rinsed,'and she grabbed the basket and held it away from me.
The things looked the same to me as the rest on the line;they looked rinsed enough and blued too.I reckoned that she didn't want me to take the trouble,or thought that I mightn't like to be seen hanging out clothes,and was only doing it out of kindness.
`Oh,it's no trouble,'I said,`let me hang 'em out.I like it.
I've hung out clothes at home on a windy day,'and I made a reach into the basket.But she flushed red,with temper I thought,and snatched the basket away.
`Excuse me,Mr Wilson,'she said,`but those things are not ready yet!'and she marched into the wash-house.
`Ah well!you've got a little temper of your own,'I thought to myself.
When I told Jack,he said that I'd made another fool of myself.
He said I'd both disappointed and offended her.He said that my line was to stand off a bit and be serious and melancholy in the background.
That evening when we'd started home,we stopped some time yarning with a chap we met at the gate;and I happened to look back,and saw Mary hanging out the rest of the things --she thought that we were out of sight.
