The Argosy — page 325: what you’re looking at

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

Marcha aan] 305 NELLY DEVITT’S GHOST. VERYBODY blamed me when I married my good man, because he was a sailor, and gay and thoughtless in his way, and I left a comfortable service to join my fortunes with his, for better or for worse. I was an orphan, and had been brought up in the Wyndhurst family, as a sort of walting-maid to the young lady; my mother before me had served her mother, and the place was like home to me. My husband was the keeper’s son, and we had been boy and girl sweethearts before he ever went to sea at all; so I didn’t mind what people said, but when the family at the Hall made up their minds to go abroad, and I saw that Miss Helen would get along better in foreign parts with a stylish French maid to wait on her, I just said yes to Will Catherwood, and we were married the night before he sailed on his first voyage as mate of the ‘‘ Mermaid.” We lived on the Cornish coast, and I could see his ship come into harbour from the window of the little cottage on the cliff, to which he brought me as his wife. I was very happy, and so was he, for a better, truer husband than my Will no woman ever was blessed with. Will’s money wasn’t much when he got it, and he was such a noble, generous-hearted fellow that, while he had a penny left, he never could say no to any one in trouble; so it was as little as I could do to help him by setting up a little shop with a few pounds I had saved before we were married. It was only amusement to me, Will being so much away; and when my elder sister died, and left me her orphan daughter to care for, I was glad that I had the chance to do it, without calling on poor Will for the means to do it with. My niece’s name was Jane Lewis. She was a good, reliable girl, and a great help to me. She has married well, and is living in the old coun- try still; but as it was owing to her that we got mixed up with the strange doings I’m going to tell you about, I must describe her to you. She was nearly twelve when she came to live at our place; and my oldest boy was not quite two years old then. She began to be of use at once, and lightened my cares from the very day of our being together. A good-hearted, sensible child, ready and willing to ‘help, and with judgment beyond her years in everything. Said she to me one day, after we had been four or five years together—‘‘ Aunt Susan, why don’t you get Uncle Will to bring you oranges and grapes enough to sell m the shop? The ladies have come back to the Hall, and they’re having comicloooks (CO) - _