The Argosy — page 376: what you’re looking at

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

358 The Village Blacksmith. the son of Tom Liddiatt, and an admirer of Janet’s, so he was not difficult to persuade to rise and help her father. “ How did you come to find ’unin the middle of the night, Mark ?” asked Liddiatt, as the two men followed Mark to the spot where Reuben lay. Mark had conceived it possible this question would be asked, and was ready with an answer: needless to add an untrue one. ‘Miss Janet came to the Vicarage and called me,” he answered, hoping to rouse the jealousy of the younger man. ** Janet ! Why, she hadn’t come home this tea-time when my missus was up there,” said Liddiatt senior. ‘Well, she is home now. At least she is gone for the doctor. And here is Mr. Foreman,” said Mark, shortly. A brief council was now held as to the best course to pursue, when, luckily for Reuben, Mark bethought him of the cottage hospital which had recently been opened in the village, but at present contained no patient. So a gate was taken off the hinges, and Reuben with much difficulty lifted on it and carried to the hospital. No sooner was Reuben thus disposed of than Mark rushed off to look for Janet. He had little doubt that she had returned to the cottage by now, and the hope of seeing her drove away all sense of fatigue, so he climbed the hill once again with alacrity, but was doomed to disappointment. Thecottage was empty ; Janet was gone. Not a trace of her remained; her room was dismantled; not a sign of her presence or of the baby’s was to be seen ; the clothes Mark had seen on his former visit were gone; to all appearance Janet had never been in the house, and Mark almost began to doubt if he had been awake the first time he entered the cottage that night. He rubbed his eyes, he scratched his head, but neither of these processes had the stimulating effect he desired on his mental faculties. So he turned on his heel, went downstairs, lighted one of Reuben’s pipes, and threw himself into his arm-chair to think over the events of the night. Vera had no doubt fastened the halk door, so he could not get into the Rectory till the servants were up ; he might as well therefore remain here. There was no fear of anyone disturbing him, for he had fastened the window, so that no one could get In. “I can’t do much till master’s wedding is over; then my time is my own while he is honeymooning, and if I don’t find Janet and marry her before Reuben is out of the hospital—if he ever comes out—my name isn’t Mark Brown.” And having registered this resolution he fell asleep to dream of babies and mussels, of Janet and Reuben. When he woke it was broad daylight, and the events of the previous night seemed like a confused dream. Two facts, however, convinced him they were realities : he was in Reuben’s cottage, and the baby’s pink sock was safe in his waistcoat pocket. It was still too early to go to the ECOMicbooolkxs.com @