The Argosy — page 320: what you’re looking at

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

304 _ Within their Gates. “ What is it then ?” “Tt—it—it is seeing the way he goes on with Miss Mary—whispering to her, and giving her his arm just to come indoors. You don’t know who this man is that you have brought into your house, sir, and I warn you that you had better take care of your daughter.” ‘Mr. Hale! how dare you?” cried an indignant voice in the rear ; and they turned to face Mary, her fair cheeks glowing, her bright eyes flashing. ‘‘ Whatever my father may choose to say to you, 7 say that you have no right to speak in this manner of me, or of him.” “For all we know, the fellow may be a disreputable character,” panted the tutor, almost beside himself. ‘ He is not a fit companion for your daughter, Mr. Owen; he has no business to be here.” “Tf this house were not your temporary home, I should say you ‘had no business to be here,” flashed Mary, her own temper roused for once. Not for herself; but—how could she hear the slighting imputations upon Azm ? She took her bed candle as she spoke, and went up to her chamber. Mr. Owen, a man fond of peace, looked after her, and then at the angry-faced tutor. “You have ruined your chance with Mary, young man,” he quaintly observed. “Tt is not I who have ruined my chance ——” ‘* Not that, as I believe, you ever had any.” “Tt is that man who has ruined it,” cried the desperate lover, dis- regarding the interruption. ‘She has not been the same since he came. She ——” ““Stop !” again interrupted the farmer, laying his hand impressively upon the other’s arm. “TI refuse to hear more of this. It is true I know nothing of the man, except that he is my guest, a stranger under my roof; but I have perfect confidence in Mary—perfect. You must understand that.” “Many a man has had perfect confidence in a woman, and lived to repent it.” ‘ “Be silent, Mr. Hale. You don’t, I think, know what you are saying.” “T know that your daughter as good as ordered me out of the house, sir. For the present, I will go. We have a week’s holiday at the school, as you know; it begins to-morrow, and I will take it. I have business at a distance.” “So much the better,” said the straightforward farmer. ‘‘ You will come back, I hope, with your temper cooled.” “And I trust, sir, that the next time your daughter finds an honest man to love her, she will treat him a little better than she has treated me.” comicbooks.com