The Argosy — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

Gwen. 109 Dr. Ellis, who seemed stunned at first, pleaded with him in vain to remain. “T shall lose my right hand, Dallas, if I lose you,” he had said, and had offered to increase his salary if money were at the root of the matter. And when he found all his pleading useless, he begged him at least to take a night to think it over. But Mr. Dallas was “I daren’t trust myself to a night’s consideration of the matter, Dr. Ellis,” he said. ‘You cannot guess what it costs me to leave you all, or how keenly I feel your kindness in wishing to keep me. But I see clearly this is my only right course, and so would you, too, if I could explain. I can’t trust myself to speak more on the matter to-night.” And with an eager grip of the Doctor’s hand he was gone. But there had been little rest for Mr. Dallas that night. He began to think that he should soon hate figures as much as Gwen herself, so persistently did the refrain ‘twice sixteen is thirty-two” haunt him during the restless hours of darkness, together with the further fact that an income which suffices for one only will not suffice for two. It seemed a curious comment on his praise of the great fact to Gwen that “ two and two make four!” The terrible tidings of Mr. Dallas’s resignation reached Gwen on the afternoon of that day, and was received with indignant disbelief. She begged her mother to ask him in to afternoon tea, that they might hear the denial from his own lips. “I fear it is too true, Gwen,” said her mother. ‘‘ Your father is terribly upset about it. But we will ask Mr. Dallas to come and have a chat certainly. Maybe we shall be able to shake his resolution.” Mrs. Ellis’s drawing-room was a very pretty one, and looked very beguiling this afternoon with Gwen presiding over the dainty tea-table near the fire-place, which was turned into a deliciously cool-looking grotto, by the aid of graceful ferns, and rustic cork, and pieces of mirror representing pools of water, in which the fronds of Hart’s- tongue and maiden-hair were reflected. Mrs. Ellis reclined in her usual low chair with some pretty lace work in her hands, and turned a face full of gracious welcome on Mr. Dallas as he entered. ‘Gwen and I are all impatience, Mr. Dallas,” she said, “to hear from your own lips that you have re-considered your decision of last night, and are going to set all our minds at rest again.” Mr. Dallas took her out-stretched hand silently, and turned to greet Gwen. But that young lady resolutely put her hands behind her, and, glancing down upon him with a sort of imperious indignation, exclaimed : **T want to hear that you are not going to desert us before I shake hands with you, Mr. Dallas!” The master smiled, in spite of his soreness of heart, at the girl’s attitude, and said quietly : comicbooks.com