Poor Norah!' Dashed if I ever heard father say a soft thing before.

I couldn't 'a believed it.

I always thought he was ironbark outside and in.

But he seemed real sorry for once.

And I was near sayin', 'Why don't ye cut the whole blessed lot, then, and come home and work steady and make us all comfortable and happy ?' But when I looked again his face was all changed and hard-like.