The Argosy — page 387: what you’re looking at

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

7s hee] Watching on St. Mark's Eve. 365 ‘“‘T’'ll find that out, as sure as my name’s Todhetley,” he said, catching up his pistols and lights. We ran all the way home, looking out in vain for the ghost on our way, and got in almost as soon as the rest. What a hullabaloo it was! They puta mattress on the kitchen floor, and laid Phoebe on it. Mr. Duffham was upon the scene in no time ; the Squire had returned earlier than was thought for, and Mrs. Todhetley came down with her face smothered in a woollen handkerchief. As to any concealment now, it was useless to think of it. None was attempted, and Molly and Hannah had to confess that they went out to watch for the shadows. ‘The Squire blustered at them a little, but Mrs. Todhetley said the keenest thing, in her mild way ‘‘ At your age, Hannah !” ‘‘T have known a person rendered an idiot for life with a less fright than this,” said old Duff, turning round to speak. “It was the follow- ing her that did the mischief.” Nothing could be done that night as to investigation ; but with the morning the Squire entered upon it in hot anger. ‘Couldn't the fool have been contented with what he’d already done, without going over the stile after her? If I spend a fifty-pound note, Pll unearth him. It looks to me uncommonly like a trick you two boys would play,” he added, turning sharply upon me and Tod. And the suspicion made us all the more eager to find out the real fox. But not a clue could we discover. Nobody had known of the proposed expedition except Goody Picker; and she, as everybody testified, was true to the backbone. As the day went on, and nothing came of it, Tod had one of his stamping fits. ‘* If one could find out whether it was man or woman! If one could divine how they got at the knowledge!” stamped Tod. ‘The . Pater does not look sure about us yet.” ‘“‘T wonder if it could have been Roger Monk?” I said, speaking out a thought that had been dimly creeping up in my mind by starts all day. ‘Roger Monk !” repeated Tod, “ why pitch upon him ?” ‘‘ Only that it’s just possible he might have got it out of Goody Picker.” Away went Tod, in his straightforward fashion, to look for Roger Monk. He was in the hot-house, doing something to his plants. “ Monk, did you play that trick last night ?” ‘What trick, sir?” asked Monk, twitching a good-for-nothing leaf off a budding geranium. “What trick! As if there were more tricks than one played! I mean dressing yourself up like a dead man and frightening Phcebe.” ‘“‘T have too much to do with my work, Mr. Todhetley, to find time to play tricks. I took no holiday at all yesterday, day or night, but was about my business till I went to bed. They were saying out here this morning that the Squire thought jz had done it.” comicloooks (CO)