The Argosy — page 361: what you’re looking at

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

“We Fell Out, my Wife and I.” 345 ‘‘ They will get so dirty, you know,” I prevaricated feebly. ‘But, you stupid boy, they will wash beautifully! Uncle Matt would never have left them here if he did not wish us to use them.” I saw she was hopelessly contented, and walked away to the window with my irritation driven inwards, and therefore, like a rash under the same circumstances, much more dangerous. Whatever poets may say, May is not a pleasant month, especially by the sea-side. As I looked out now, I saw before me a dull grey world. Heavy grey clouds overhead, a heaving, grey expanse of sea below. The tide was out, and to right and left stretched away as far as I could see a long reach of sandy shore—pleasant enough, doubtless, in summer-time, but now looking drearily uninteresting, as the waves broke on it with a monotonous, melancholy swish. A cold north-easterly wind was driving the rain against the windows, and the trees bowed and swayed and flung up their arms, as though mourning for the early fate of their beautiful young leaves, which the wind was recklessly tearing from the parent stem and strewing on the ground. ‘No going out for us again to-day as far as I can see,” I said gloomily. Celia sighed sympathetically. ‘It is too bad, isn’t it?” she said. ‘“‘ And I had set my heart on a ride with you, Dick! Wasn’t it kind of Uncle Matt to send down his two horses for us? I do love riding ; don’t you, Dick ?” She walked over to the window and passed her hand caressingly through my arm ; but I was longing for a plausible grievance, and the fact of not being able to find one made me twice as irritable as before. As she seemed to expect an answer, I said, with that particular *‘dumpy ” sound in my voice which is so discouraging to an inter- locutor : © Oh, I like riding well enough when I have good horses.” “Well, I am sure Uncle Matt’s ” she began, but I cut her short. ‘Your Uncle Matt’s horses are a couple of old screws, I went to look at them in the stable yesterday.” She looked vaguely bewildered at the tone of my voice. “Why, what is the matter with you, Dick ? Has anything annoyed you ?” Here was my opportunity. “ Anything annoyed me!” I burst out. ‘‘Isn’t it enough to: annoy any fellow, to be cooped up in a confounded hole like this, with nothing but that beastly sea and sand to look at outside, and a room like this to live in?” Celia looked hurt and indignant, and I saw the glimmer of coming tears in her eyes. ‘¢ What is the matter with the room ?” she asked. ‘IJ am sure I CONMUG DOO SS (GO) i