The Argosy — page 135: what you’re looking at

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

A Crists in his Life. 12! that came to my house this morning, addressed to you,” continued the old lady, lugging out of her pocket a small collection of articles before she found the letter. ‘Mabel says itis your husband’s handwriting, ma’am ; if so, he must be thinking you are staying with me.” ‘“‘ Thanks,” said Sophie, slipping the letter away unopened. ‘“‘ Had you not better see what it says?” suggested Mrs. Golding to her. “Not at all: it can wait. May I offer you some luncheon ?” “Much obleeged, ma’am, but I and Mabel took an early dinner before setting out—some hot mutton-chops. And on which day, Mrs. Everty, do you purpose going ?” “ T'll Jet you know,” said Sophie. ‘“What can have kept you so long here?” continued the old lady, wondenngly. “Mabel said you did not know any of the inhabitants.” ““T have found it of service to my health,” replied Sophie with charming simplicity. ‘‘ Will you take a glass of sherry, Mrs. Golding ?” “I don’t mind if I do. Just half a glass. Thank you, sir; not much more than half”—to me, as I went forward with the glass and decanter. “I’m sure, sir, it is good of you to be attentive to an old lady hke me. If you had a mind for a brisk walk at any time, of three miles, or so, and would come over to my house, I’d make you wel- come. Mabel, write down the address.” “‘ And I wish you had come while I was there, Johnny Ludlow,” said the girl, giving me the paper. ‘I like you. You don’t say smiling words to people with your mouth and mock at them in your heart, as some do.” I remembered that she had not been asked to take any wine, and I Offered it. : ‘* Vo, thank you,” she said with emphasis. ‘‘ None for me.” And it struck me that she refused because the wine belonged to Sophie. The old lady, after nodding a farewell around and shaking hands with Mrs. Everty, stood leaning on her stick between the doorway and the stairs. ‘“‘ My servant’s not here,” she said, looking back, ‘and these stairs are steep: would anybody be good enough to help me down?” Tod went forward to give her his arm; and we heard the fly drive away with her and Mabel. Somehow the interlude had damped the free go of the banquet, and we soon preparéd to depart also. Sophie made no attempt to hinder it, but said she should expect us in to take some tea with her in the evening : and the lot of us filed out together, some going one way, some another. I and Fred Temple kept together. There was a good-natured fellow at Oxford that term, who had come up from Wales to take his degree, and had brought his wife with him, a nice kind of young girl who put me in mind of Anna Whitney. They had become acquainted with Sophie Chalk, and liked. her; she fascinated both. She meant to do it too: for the companionship of staid, irre. . GOL ClOOOkKS.CO a