The Argosy — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

THE ARGOSY. FEBRUARY, 1889. = a —» a a —_ ay THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH. ——_—$+>-0-<¢4-—-—__— CHAPTER IV. AT AVRANCHES. M RS. CANTER succeeded without much difficulty in persuading Reuben to allow Janet to spend Whitsun-week with her in her new home, and when she hinted that she would like to have her for a longer visit another time he seemed inclined to consent to that also. : A day or two before Janet was to leave home, however, Reuben announced his intention of accompanying her. He had not had a week’s holiday for twenty years ; he missed Norah, to whom he was much attached ; he was anxious to see her new home; and finally he decided to go with his daughter. This announcement of intentions, which, if carried out, would effectually prevent the proposed marriage from taking place, caused Janet’s spirits, already depressed by the thought of the deception she was about to practise on her kind father, to sink to zero. And yet she was in duty bound to appear delighted at the prospect of his company. It was settled they should start early on Saturday after- noon. Janet packed up her own things and her father’s the night before, and went off to her work at the mill with a heavy heart on Saturday morning after writing to Rex and Mrs. Canter to tell them the bad news. Reuben, on the contrary, went to his forge in excellent spirits. He felt he had honestly earned the holiday he intended to take, and he meant to enjoy it. Perhaps, too, he might win some souls, of which he was always in quest to join his communion, and then indeed his holiday would be blessed. In the course of the morning Mark Brown came into the forge to get his master’s mowing-machine mended, and, before Reuben had time to tell him of his intended holiday, began to talk about his own spiritual affairs. ‘Mr. Foreman, I’ve been turing over in my mind what you VOL, XLVIL G COnmicloooel —_— SS (CO