The Argosy — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

wa: 7 7 a Xa ‘oe. * ie awd at The Vi.laze Blac.smath. 17 Canter ever dared to penetrate on washing-day, the greatest feast in Mrs. Canter’s calendar. Here, surrounded by huge tubs containing linen in various stages of ‘“‘ first soak” and “ second soak,” of wash- ing and rinsing and blueing, Mrs. Canter presided, moving from tub to tub as the ritual of her sacred occupation demanded ; her attention occasionally diverted to the copper, from which the steam rose like the smoke of incense as she raised the lid and stirred its contents with all the solemnity due to so solemn a function. The inhabitants of Woodford were as brave as most country people, yet there were only two people in the village who would have ventured to interrupt Mrs. Canter on washing-day. Those two were Vera Tempest and her brother Rex; and they had no scruples. On the contrary, they considered it rather a good opportunity to get Norah to herself ; for on washing-day they no more feared interruption than a courtier summoned to a private audience with his sovereign. Therefore, when Mary Jane tapped at the wash-house door on the dast washing-day Mrs. Canter proposed spending in Woodford, and intimated that Mr. Rex desired an audience, Norah was neither surprised nor displeased. “Come in, Mr. Rex, come in; and Mary Jane, hand in a chair,” exclaimed Norah. ‘‘ You are a little damp in here, Norah,” said Rex, bringing him- self and a chair into the steaming atmosphere of the laundry. “T have just been stirring up the copper; it'll be better in a minute, sir.” “© Oh, I don’t mind ; it will hide my blushes. I have a secret to tell you to-day, Norah. You don’t mind my smoke, I know ; it will counter- act the effect of your steam, perhaps,” said Rex, seating himself astride the chair in the middle of the wash-house and lighting a cigar. ‘‘T hope you are not in another scrape, Master Rex,” said Norah, giving the linen in soak two or three vigorous shakes, ‘No, but I want you to help me all the same,” said Rex, puffing away. And then after a pause, during which Norah moved to the washing-tub proper and soaped away at some linen, he added: ‘“ The truth is I am in love.” “Why, bless the boy, you don’t say so! You were in the nursery only the other day as it seems to me,” said Norah from her soap-suds. ‘I do say so; and, what is more, I mean it.” ‘* Then, Master Rex, all I can say ts, it is the worst scrape you ever were in in your life. For, if the lady was an angel from heaven, Mr. Tempest would not hear of your marrying till you have enough to keep a wife; and I don’t see how you are to manage that for several years to come,” said Norah, rubbing and scrubbing at some garment with unnecessary energy, as Rex thought. “She isn’t an angel, certainly ; and my father would say as cer- tainly she isn’t a lady.” ‘Not a lady! Then, Master Rex, I wash my hands of it,” said VOL. XLVII. Cc conniclooolkks CO