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[Illustration: "Seated on a partly submerged post... was John Brown."]




    AN AUSTRALIAN
    LASSIE

    BY

    LILIAN TURNER

    AUTHOR OF "THE PERRY GIRLS," ETC.

    ILLUSTRATIONS BY A. J. JOHNSON

    WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED
    LONDON AND MELBOURNE




    TO
    MY STEPFATHER
    CHARLES COPE




CONTENTS

CHAP.                                            PAGE

        I WYGATE SCHOOL                             9

       II THE PEARL SEEKERS                        20

      III "THE DAILY ROUND--THE COMMON TASK"       30

       IV GHOSTS                                   41

        V JOHN BROWN                               59

       VI MONDAY MORNING                           68

      VII "CAREW-BROWN"                            79

     VIII THE FIGHT                                86

       IX DOROTHEA'S FRIENDS                      101

        X RICHES OR RAGS                          112

       XI THE ARTIST BY THE WAYSIDE               123

      XII BETTY IN THE LION'S DEN                 134

     XIII "IF I WERE ONLY YOU!"                   147

      XIV JOHN'S PLANS                            162

       XV ON THE ROAD                             177

      XVI THE NOTE ON THE PINCUSHION              189

     XVII IN THE CITY                             201

    XVIII ALMA'S SHILLING                         214

      XIX THE BENT-SHOULDERED OLD GENTLEMAN       224

       XX THE DAY AFTER SCHOOL                    234

      XXI "GOOD-BYE, GOOD-BYE"                    245




CHAPTER I

WYGATE SCHOOL


"Emily Underwood, 19; Stanley Smith, 20; Cyril Bruce, 21; Nellie
Underwood, 22; Elizabeth Bruce, 23--bottom of the class!"

Mr. Sharman took off his eyeglasses, rubbed them, and put them on again.
Then he looked very hard at the little girl at the end