The Argosy — page 384: what you’re looking at

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

362 Watching on St. Mark's Eve. [ Xpeleea churchyard, stood white and cold in the moonlight. I went behind the cross-stile at the side furthest from our house, and _ leaned over it, looking up and down the lane. That the women would be on the opposite side was certain, because the churchyard gate could not be seen so well from this. The old clock did not tell the quarters, only struck the hour ; time went on, and I began to wonder how long I was to wait. It must be turned haif-past nine ; getting nearer to a quarter to ten; and still no- body came. Where were the watchers? And where was Tod? The shadows of the trees, of the hedges, of the graves, fell in distinct lines on the grass; and I don’t mind confessing that it felt uncommonly lonely. “ Hou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ou !” burst forth over my head with a sudden and unearthly sound. [I started back in a fright for one moment, and called myself an idiot the next, for it was only an owl It had come flying forth from the old belfry, and went rushing on with its great wings, crying still, but changing its note. “Tu-whit; tu-whoo.” And while I watched the owl, other sounds, as of whispering, made themselves manifest, heralding the approach of the women from the opposite field, making for the stile in front of me, through the Iittle copse. Drawing behind the low hedge, to sit down on the stump of a tree, I pushed my head forward, and took a look at them through the lower bars of the stile. They were standing at the other, in their light shawls and new Easter straw-bonnets ; Molly’s timmed with green, Hannah's with primrose. The moonlight fell full on their faces—mune was in the shade. But they might see me, and I drew back again. Presently they began to gabble; in low tones at first, which in- creased, perhaps unconsciously to themselves, to higher ones. They said how lonely it was, especially with “them grave-marks” in view close by ; and they speculated upon whether any shadows would appear to them. My sense of loneliness had vanished. To have two practical women, each of them a good five-and-thirty, for neighbours, took it off But I wondered what had become of Tod. Another owl! or perhaps the last one coming back again. It was not so startling a noise as before, and created no alarm. I thought it a good opportunity to steal another look, and propelled my head forward an inch atatime. Their two faces were turned upwards, watching the owl’s flight towards the belfry. But to my intense astonishment there was a fhird face. <A face behind them peeping out from the close folds of a mantle, and almost resting on their shoulders. At the first moment I thought of Tod; but soon the features became familiar to me in the bright light, and I knew them for Phoebe’s. Phoebe, whom I had left in the kitchen, supping quietly! That she had stolen up unseen and unheard while they talked, was apparent. COMIC OOOKS. EO mn _