The Argosy — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

THE ARGOSY. Shaving the Pontes Tails. Irs jan. 1,1 there arose a hullabaloo that you might have heard over in Worcester- shire. : Of all the miserable little objects possible for imagination to con- ceive, there stood the worst. It was Hugh, who had come bursting in at the hall-door with a great howl. He was green all over. The blood was pouring from his green face, his curls were dripping green slime, his legs and his purple velvet were nothing but green mud. As good explain at once that he had fallen into the duck-pond, and in scrambling out of it made his nose bleed. But it looked a great deal worse than that, and nobody could tell what to make of him. Mrs. Todhetley thought he was killed. She shrieked and sobbed, and gave Tod the accusation direct of being the author of the mischief. Tod denied it, his tone insolent. ‘“ Look at his dress!” cried Hannah, who came flying down upon the scene. ‘‘Oh! ma’am, look at his beautiful dress! Can you deny doing that, sir?” she boldly asked Tod to his face, holding up the rent. She and Tod were always at daggers drawn. “I did that,” said Tod, distinctly. ‘‘ That is, I caused him to do it.” A noise of a different sort, something like a man’s passionate scream. It came from Tod, and I turned short round, fnghtened. The Pater had the horsewhip in his hand, laying it upon his shoulders. And he had never struck him since he was a child ! It was a wretched Christmas dinner ; everybody in discomfort. Tod had bolted up-stairs to his room, and the Pater scarcely spoke to any- body. He wasa little man, with a few light hairs sticking up on his head, and excruciating nerves. These scenes would put him into an awful passion for a moment, but it was soon over. As he sat there, making only a pretence to eat, I knew that he was wishing in his bitter repentance that his hand had been cut off before it was used on Tod. . “ Johnny,” he whispered to me, by-and-by, pretending to pick up his table-napkin, ‘“‘go up to Joe, and tell him to come down and have some‘dinner. Tell him it’s Christmas Day.” Up I went, three stairs at a time, wondering in what condition I should find Tod, and haif afraid to enter. But Tod was not there. He had taken the matter coolly, Tod fashion, and I found him in the housekeeper’s room, seated at a table which had been laid for him, a servant in attendance. ‘Wants me to come in to-dinner, does he !” returned Tod, his mouth full of turkey. ‘“ My compliments to him, and I’m taking it here.” “Tod, I know he’s as sorry ashe can be. Docome! It's all so uncomfortable in there !” ‘‘T’m glad to hear it!” answered Tod, emptying the tureen of bread- sauce on his plate. GOHRMGIOO <S com ‘* But won't you come ?”