I Forbid the Banns! — page 59: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ON SHADOWS. 49 “T believe that Mr. Charlton has found the Jacob’s Ladder of St. Helena as mysterious as the original seen by the patriarch,” said Miss Travers. ‘“ He has breathed the ambrosial atmosphere at the summit, and he cannot bring himself to partake of the ordinary fare of earth.” ‘“T found him very ordinary when I was talking to him just now,” said Southcote. ‘“ He is not too bright and good for human nature’s daily food—when conscientiously cooked.” “ Or human nature’s nightly drink,” said Captain Waring. ‘What do you say to a split soda, Charlton, old man, to be followed by a quiet little poker?” ‘¢Southcote will split with you,” said Charlton, “ As for the poker—well, I’ll not play to-night.” “T don’t see why the deuce a fellow shouldn’t have a friendly game after a few hours ashore as well as on any other night,’ said Waring. ‘It’s not so much of a place after all—that lump of rock over there,” and he steadied himself against a stay with his left hand, while he pointed out with his right, somewhat dreamily, the exact place to which he was alluding, lest his friends might make any mis- take. ‘ What’s Saint ’Lena that it should knock a fellow off a poker? Hanged if there aren’t friends of mine that have bigger rockeries in their back gardens than the whole fixture over there—there.”’ This time he steadied himself with his right hand and endeavored to take a perfect aim with his left at the island, for he seemed greatly afraid that his friends might take up his meaning wrongly and fancy that he was casting a slight upon quite another part of the world. His attempt to point out the island was not quite successful. ‘‘’Scuse me, Miss Travers, but this beast of a boat is jerky—if the skipper would only run up a trys’l to steady her I’d point you out the place I mean. Anyhow, I bear no malice, so go’-night.” COMMICELYOOlKS EC) m