The Argosy — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

Edina. 5 some wise old saw, pain afterwards. With the morning’s dawn the pain came to Eagles’ Nest. Amid the letters delivered to Major Raynor was one from Oxford. It enclosed a very heavy bill for wine supplied to his son Charles : heavy, considering Mr. Charles’s years, and the short duration of his : One sojourn at the University. The Major stared at it, with his spec- tacles, and without his spectacles ; he looked at the heading, he gazed at the foot; and finally when he mastered it he went into a passion, and ordered Charles before him. So peremptory was the summons, that Charles appeared in haste. His outburst of temper, when he found out what the matter was, quite equalled his father’s. “I’m sure I thought you must be on fire down here, sir,” said he. “‘What confounded sneaks they are, to apply to youl! I can’t un- derstand their doing it.” ‘Sneaks be shot!” cried the wrathful Major. “ Do you owe all this, or don’t you? That’s the question.” “Why, the letter was addressed to me/” exclaimed Charles, who had been examining the envelope. ‘I must say, sir, you might allow me to open my own letters.” But the Major was guiltless of any ill faith. The mistake was the butlers. He had inadvertently placed the letter amongst his master’s letters, and the Major opened it without glancing at the address. _ “What does it signify, do you suppose, whether I opened it or you?” demanded the Major. ‘Not that I did it intentionally. I should have to know of it: you can’t pay this.” “ They can wait,” said Charles, “Wait! Do you mean to confess to me that you have had all this wine?” retorted the Major, irascible for once. ‘Why, you must be growing into—into what I don’t care to name !” “You can’t suppose that J drank it, sir. The other undergraduates give wine parties, and I have to do the same. They drink the wine ; I don’t.” “That is, you drink it amongst you,” roared the Major; “anda nice disreputable lot you must all be. I understood young men went to college to study; not to drink, and run up bills. What else do you owe? Is this all?” Charles hesitated in his answer. An untruth he would not tell. The . Major saw what the hesitation meant, and it alarmed him. When we become frightened our wrath cools down. The Major dropped into * a chair, and lost his fierceness and his voice together. “Charley,” said he in a subdued tone like a whisper, “I have not the money to pay. You know I’ve not. If it’s much, it will ruin me.” “‘ But it is not much, father,” returned Charles, his own anger dis- armed, and contrition taking its place. “There may be one or two more trifling bills: nothing to speak of.” le comicbooks.com