The Argosy — page 300: what you’re looking at

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

Anne. “Oh, I know,” exclaimed Anne. ‘“ Yesterday Mrs. Podd suggested that a summer-house in that spot would be a delightful improvement. But I never, never could have supposed papa meant to act upon the suggestion.” Just so. Dr. Lewis wished to erect a summer-house of wood and trellis-work, but had not liked to do it without first speaking to his landlord. As the days went on, Anne grew to feel somewhat reassured. She was very busy, for all kinds of preparations had to be made in the house, and the wedding was to take place at once. “TI think, perhaps, I took it up in a wrong light, Johnny,” she said to me one day, when I went in and found her sewing at some new curtains. “I hopeI did. It must have been the suddenness of the news, I suppose, and that I was so very unprepared for it.” “How do you mean? In what wrong light?” ‘“‘ Nobody seems to think ill of it, or to foresee cause for apprehen- sion. Iam so glad. I don’t think I ever can much like her: but if she makes papa happy, it is all I ask.” ‘* Who has been talking about it ?” “ Herbert Tanerton, for one. He saw Mrs. Podd at Worcester last week, and thought her charming. The very woman, he said, to do papa good ; lively and full of resource. So it may all be for the best.” I should as soon have expected an invitation to the moon as to the wedding. But I got it. Dr. Lewis, left to himself, was feeling helpless again, and took me with him to Worcester on the eve of the happy day. We put up at the Bell Hotel for the night ; but Anne went direct to Lake’s boarding-house. I ran down there in the evening. Whether an inkling of the coming wedding had got abroad, I can’t say ; it was to be kept private, and had been, so far as anybody knew; but Lake’s house was full, not a room to behad in it for love nor money. Anne was put in a sleeping closet two yards square. “Tt is not our fault,” spoke Miss Dinah, openly. ‘“ We were keeping a room for Miss Lewis; but on Monday last when a stranger came, wanting to be taken in, Mrs. Podd told us Miss Lewis was going to the hotel with her father.” “‘ My dear love, I thought you were,” chimed in Mrs. Podd, as she patted Anne on the shoulder. ‘I must have mis-read a passage in your dear papa’s letter, and so caught up the misapprehension. Never mind: you shall dress in my room if your own’s not large enough. And I am sure all you young ladies ought to be obliged to me, for the new inmate is a delightful man. My daughters find him charming.” “The room is quite large enough, thank you,” replied Anne, meekly. “Do you approve of the wedding, Miss Dinah?” I asked her later, when we were alone in the dining-room, ° “Do yow like!it?” comicbooks.com