Penny Dreadfuls, 1923 · page 92 of 116
The Taking of Helen by John Masefield — page 92: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Description This is a page of running prose from what appears to be the middle of a serialized narrative titled "The Taking of Helen" (visible as page 80). The text depicts a tense scene in which three characters—Helen, Paris, and Nireus—hide indoors while debating whether to flee. A neighbor arrives at the door calling for someone named Myrtle, and they listen anxiously as he circles the house with his walking stick. The dialogue suggests escape and concealment are the narrative's immediate concerns.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SO THE TAKING OF HELEN ‘It was the creeper stirring,” Nireus said. “I say stay here awhile. The countryside is roused and all are going to Green Havens to search some wool stores. it is two rough miles to my ship. Later, there will be a moon and fewer people.”’ ‘“T say, wait only for half an hour here,”’ Helen said. “Then they will be intent upon their search; now they are but going to it.”’ “T say, get out into the night,” Paris said, “for in the night one is free and hidden; here we are shut in and hidden. And I keep thinking that I hear a foot- step. I am sure that there is a footstep, of some- body with a treacherous step.”’ ‘There is a footstep coming to the courtyard door,” Helen said. ‘‘ There is someone tapping there.”’ They heard a rapping on the door, repeated several times; then a man’s voice called: ‘“Are you there, Myrtle? Are you inside, there?’’ They remained silent, looking at each other. “That’s a neighbour,’ Paris whispered. ‘From these parts, by his accent.”’ There came a louder banging on the door, and the man cried: “Come on, now, let me in, Myrtle; where are you ?”’ ‘“He’s coming round to the other door,’’ Nireus said. ‘“He’s an old man and walks with a stick.”’ They heard the shuffling of his feet passing round the house and the pecking of the stick at each step. CORNIC OOKS»eO