Joe Wilson and His Mates [7]
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.
Then I understood why those things weren't ready while we were round.
For the next day or two Mary didn't take the slightest notice of me,
and I kept out of her way. Jack said I'd disillusioned her --
and hurt her dignity -- which was a thousand times worse.
He said I'd spoilt the thing altogether. He said that she'd got an idea
that I was shy and poetic, and I'd only shown myself
the usual sort of Bush-whacker.
I noticed her talking and chatting with other fellows once or twice,
and it made me miserable. I got drunk two evenings running, and then,
as it appeared afterwards, Mary consulted Jack, and at last she said to him,
when we were together --
`Do you play draughts, Mr Barnes?'
`No,' said Jack.
`Do you, Mr Wilson?' she asked, suddenly turning her big, bright eyes on me,
and speaking to me for the first time since last washing-day.
`Yes,' I said, `I do a little.' Then there was a silence,
and I had to say something else.
`Do you play draughts, Miss Brand?' I asked.
`Yes,' she said, `but I can't get any one to play with me here of an evening,
the men are generally playing cards or reading.' Then she said,
`It's very dull these long winter evenings when you've got nothing to do.
Young Mr Black used to play draughts, but he's away.'
I saw Jack winking at me urgently.
`I'll play a game with you, if you like,' I said, `but I ain't
much of a player.'
`Oh, thank you, Mr Wilson! When shall you have an evening to spare?'
We fixed it for that same evening. We got chummy over the draughts.
I had a suspicion even then that it was a put-up job to keep me away
from the pub.
Perhaps she found a way of giving a hint to old Black
without committing herself. Women have ways -- or perhaps Jack did it.
Anyway, next day the Boss came round and said to me --
`Look here, Joe, you've got no occasion to stay at the pub.
Bring along your blankets and camp in one of the spare rooms of the old house.
You can have your tucker here.'
He
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.
Then I understood why those things weren't ready while we were round.
For the next day or two Mary didn't take the slightest notice of me,
and I kept out of her way. Jack said I'd disillusioned her --
and hurt her dignity -- which was a thousand times worse.
He said I'd spoilt the thing altogether. He said that she'd got an idea
that I was shy and poetic, and I'd only shown myself
the usual sort of Bush-whacker.
I noticed her talking and chatting with other fellows once or twice,
and it made me miserable. I got drunk two evenings running, and then,
as it appeared afterwards, Mary consulted Jack, and at last she said to him,
when we were together --
`Do you play draughts, Mr Barnes?'
`No,' said Jack.
`Do you, Mr Wilson?' she asked, suddenly turning her big, bright eyes on me,
and speaking to me for the first time since last washing-day.
`Yes,' I said, `I do a little.' Then there was a silence,
and I had to say something else.
`Do you play draughts, Miss Brand?' I asked.
`Yes,' she said, `but I can't get any one to play with me here of an evening,
the men are generally playing cards or reading.' Then she said,
`It's very dull these long winter evenings when you've got nothing to do.
Young Mr Black used to play draughts, but he's away.'
I saw Jack winking at me urgently.
`I'll play a game with you, if you like,' I said, `but I ain't
much of a player.'
`Oh, thank you, Mr Wilson! When shall you have an evening to spare?'
We fixed it for that same evening. We got chummy over the draughts.
I had a suspicion even then that it was a put-up job to keep me away
from the pub.
Perhaps she found a way of giving a hint to old Black
without committing herself. Women have ways -- or perhaps Jack did it.
Anyway, next day the Boss came round and said to me --
`Look here, Joe, you've got no occasion to stay at the pub.
Bring along your blankets and camp in one of the spare rooms of the old house.
You can have your tucker here.'
He