The Argosy — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

120 A Crisis in his Life. and her general fascinations, and flirted quietly ; but all in a lady-like way. ‘* Thank you, yes ; I think I will take a little more salad, Mr. Richard- son,” she said to him with a beaming smile. ‘It is my dinner, you know. I have not a hall to dine in to-night, as you gentlemen have. I am sorry to trouble you, Mr. Johnny.” I was holding her plate for Richardson. There happened at that moment to be a lull in the talking, and we heard a carriage of some kind stop at the door, and a loud peal at the house-bell. ‘It's that brother of mine,” said Fred Temple. ‘ He bothered me to drive out to some confounded place with him, but I told him I'd not. What's he bumping up the stairs in that fashion for? ” The room door was flung open, and Fred Temple put on a savage face, for his brother looked after him more than he liked ; when, instead of Temple major, there appeared a shining big brown satin bonnet, and an old lady’s face under it, who stood there with a walking-stick. “Yes, you see I was right, grandmamma ; I said she was not gone,” piped out a shrill voice behind; and Mabel Smith, in an old- fashioned black silk frock and tippet, came into view. They had driven up to look after Sophie. Sophie was equal to the occasion. She rose gracefully and held out both her hands, as though they had been welcome as is the sun in har- vest. The old lady leaned on her stick, and stared around: the many faces seemed to confuse her. ‘Dear me! I did not know you had got a party to dinner, ma’am.” ‘‘ Just two or three friends who have dropped in to partake of a little luncheon, Mrs. Golding,” said Sophie, airily. ‘ Let me take your stick.” The old lady, who looked like a very amiable old lady, sat down in the nearest chair, but kept the stick im her hand. Mabel Smith was regarding everything with her shrewd eyes and compressing: her thin lips. . ‘This is Johnny Ludlow, grandmamma; you have heard me speak of iim: I don’t know the others.” “How do you do, sir,” said the old lady, politely nodding her brown bonnet at me. “I hope you are in good health, sir?” ‘Ves, ma’am, thank you.” For she put it as a question, and seemed to await an answer. ‘Tod and the rest, who had nsen, began to sit down again. ‘I’m sure I am sorry to disturb you at dinner, ma’am,” said the old lady to Mrs. Everty. ‘‘ We came in to see whether you had gone home or not. I said you of course had gone; that you’d not stay away from your husband so long as this ; and also because we had not heard of you for a month past. But Mabel thought you were here still.” ‘¢T am intending to return shortly,” said Sophie. ‘ That’s well: for I want tosendup Mabel. And I brought in a letter ECORNICLOOO SS (CO) mn —_)