The Argosy — page 266: what you’re looking at

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

250 Edina, keep me theré aiso to-day ; but to have to lie in that. back room is so wretchedly dull, Poke up the fire, will you, please, and make a blaze.” With every word he spoke, his chest seemed to heave up and down. His voice was-‘hollow. Now he had a fit of coughing; and the cough sounded as hollow as the voice had done. Peter came in, welcomed Charles boisterously, and rang for tea. That, you may be sure, was acceptable to poor half-starved Charles. Fred, saying he was glad Charles had got the place at Prestleigh’s, plunged into a few revelations touching the office politics, as well as his frequent cough and his imperfect breath allowed, with a view of putting him au courant of affairs in general in his new position. ‘“‘T shall make things pleasant for you, after I get back,” said he. “We articled fellows hold ourselves somewhat aloof from the working clerks ; but I shall let them know who you are, and that it is only a a temporary move on your part.” Fred Tanting, warm-hearted as his brother, said this when Charles was bidding him good evening. That last look, taken when the invalid’s face was raised, and the lamp shone full upon it, impressed Charles more than all. Peter went with him to the door. “What does the doctor say about your brother?” asked Charles, as they stood on the pavement, in the cold ‘Says he must take care of himself.” “Don’t you think he looks very ill?” ‘*T don’t know,” replied Peter, who had been in the habit of seeing his brother daily ; and therefore his looks had not particularly im- pressed him. ‘‘ Does he?” “ Well, it strikes me so. I should say he #s ill. Why don’t you send for his mother to come up?” “So I would, if we had a mother to send for,” returned Peter. “Our mother died two years ago; and—and father has married again. We have no longer any place in the old Somersetshire homestead, Raynor. Fred and I stand by ourselves in the world.” “(And without means?” cried Charles quickly; who had lately begun to refer every evil that the world contained to the lack of rooney. “Oh, he allows us something. Just enough to keep us going until we shall be started on our own account. I get a hundred a year from the place I’m at, Fred gains nothing yet. He is not out of his articles.” “ Well, I'll come to see him again soon,” cried Charley, vaulting off. “ Good night, Peter.” Was Fred indeed seriously ill? Was it going to be one of those cases, of which there are too many in London: of a poor young fellow, just entering on the hopeful threshold of life, dying away from friends, comicbooks.com