Big Game - A Story for Girls

"Right!" he cried heartily. "Right! I'll help you! The lad's a good

lad, and a clever lad; but what I do will be for your sake, not his!

You are a dear girl! The dearest girl I have ever met--save one! For

the sake of the bit of her that lives again in you, I am at your

service. You shall have your chance. From to-day forward I will see to

it that George makes a member of our party wherever we go. He has done

enough writing; it is time that he began to play. Make him play, Miss

Vane! He has been old all his life; teach him to be young! He is the

best fellow in the world, but he is fast asleep. Wake him up! There is

just one condition, and that is, that you leave your brother and his

scribblings alone for the time being! Don't mention them, or any

question of the sort, but be content just to show yourself to George,

your own bright, natural girl-self, as you have shown it to me. Learn

to know one another, and forget all about the boy. His turn will come

later on! You promise?"

"Ye-es!" faltered Margot shyly. "Yes, I do; but you must promise too--

that you will, that you won't, won't let your brother think--"

The Chieftain touched her arm once more, with a gesture of kindly

reassurement.

"Don't you worry, little girl! He shall have no thoughts about you that

are not altogether chivalrous and true. It's not you who are going to

move in this matter, remember! You've given it over into my hands; it

is I who am to pull the strings. No, you needn't thank me. It strikes

me that we are going to work out pretty even over this business. If you

want help for your brother, I need it just as badly for mine. I have

realised for a long time that he needed a medicine which no doctor could

supply." He looked into her face with a sudden radiant smile. "It

strikes me I might have searched a very long time before finding any one

so eminently fitted to undertake his cure!"