The Well Read Online Free PDF Page A

said, any mistakes made in recent seasons. He was, after all, her father’s closest friend and, in addition, was the stock and station agent for several districts. He knew a great deal about farming and about the uses of money and he knew a great many people. He was sure, he said, that Miss Harper could manage.
    Everything went well except that Hester’s interest in farm management and successful sales, temporarily rekindled on complete possession of the enormous property, was shortlived. In addition, after all the years of careful frugal housekeeping, she became extravagant and wasteful. It seemed that whenever she went with Katherine to the city she had to buy everything they saw. She bought clothes, foods, furniture, cassette players and transistors. They were always needing batteries, cassettes, cooking utensils, jewellery, materials and trimmings, oil paints – for they both fancied themselves as artists – guitars – for they thought they could create a group – and they chose a new piano, Hester declaring that the terrible heat of the previous summer (a record) had warped the strings or whatever it was pianos had inside. Also Katherine coveted gear from a boutique and Italian leather boots, soft and gracefully elegant, two pairs, one pair plum coloured and the other the colour of cream on fresh milk. Hester bought too another car, this time a sturdy little truck. There was no end to their wishes and to their shopping. They were hardly ever at the farm, always on the journey to and from the city, or on the shorter journey to and from the town. They were always excited, laden with purchases and looking forward to their next expedition.
    Because of driving more at night Hester had enormous bars put on the front of the Toyota. A framework of metal, a roo bar, to catch anything foolish or slow enough to be in the way in the dark on the long lonely roads. The bars were thick and strong, welded to form a sort of cage in the middle of which was a spotlight. The light had a close-fitting cover which was never taken off as Hester did not go out at night shooting.
    The truck, the Toyota, was a gleaming gun-metal, severe, high off the road giving an impression of capable safety. The back was covered with a neatly fastened new tarpaulin. The cabin of the truck was comfortable being both spacious and intimate. With the bar the truck was complete and formidable. The two women enjoyed travelling in it and there was ample space for all their shopping.
    Two and even more years of drought with the topsoil drifting over the fences, Mr Bird warned Hester that, if she went on the way she was, her income would become very unhealthy indeed.
    One evening Mr Bird stayed later than usual. He had been obliged to put off the hired men sooner than the arranged time and was upset about this especially as he, the previous week, had had to dismiss and send away from their small houses on the property two men and their wives and children.
    â€˜Why couldn’t you wait until after the harvest?’ Hester demanded suddenly surprised at Mr Bird’s late appearance in the kitchen and not liking his conversation.
    She had always, since her earliest childhood, loved the harvest time and was happily baking scones and cakes, with Katherine’s help, for the men.
    â€˜You can’t afford to keep and pay men when there isn’t the work,’ Mr Bird began, but apparently feeling this discussion was unprofitable, he changed the subject.
    â€˜Mr Borden, you know him, young man across the paddock from you, would like to rent the big house,’ he said.
    â€˜What house?’ Hester’s large mouth about to sample, at one bite, a jam puff, stayed wide open.
    â€˜Why this house,’ Mr Bird shifted uneasily from one foot to the other before he sat down on his usual chair. ‘He’d pay a good rent – he’s raisin’ a big family, his property adjoins, he says the house would be just what he