The Argosy — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

Our First Term at Oxford. 37 and the more we saw of him the more we liked him. But an impres- sion gradually dawned upon us that he was not strong enough for his place. The carrying up of a heavy tray upstairs would set him pant- ing like an old man, and he could not run far or fast. One day I was hard at work, Tod and Whitney being off somewhere, driving tandem, when a queer, ugly-sounding cough kept annoying me from outside: but whether it came from dog or man I could not tell. Opening the door at last, there sat Charley on the stairs, his head rest- ing against the wall, and his cheeks brighter than a red leaf in autumn. ‘‘ What, 1s it you, Charley? Where did you pick up that cough?” “I beg your pardon, sir,” said he, starting up. “1 thought your rooms where empty.” “Come in till the fit’s over. You are in a regular draught there. Come along,” for he hesitated—‘ I want to shut the door.” He came in, coughing finely, and I gave him the chair by the fre. it was nothing, he said, and would soon be gone. He had caught it a day or two back in the bleak east wind: the college was draughty, and he had tobe on the run out of doors in all sorts of weather. “ Well, you know, Charley, putting east winds and draughts aside, you don’t seem to be quite up to your work here in point of strength.” ‘I was up to it, sir, when I took it. It’s a failing in some of our family, sir, to have weak lungs. I shall beall right again, soon.” The coughing was over, and he got up to go away, evidently not kking to intrude. There was a degree of sensitiveness about him that, ef itself, might have shown he was superior to his position. - “Take a good jorum of treacle-posset, Charley, at bed-time.” wt * * * * * * Spring weather came in with February. The biting cold and snow of January disappeared, and genial sunshine warmed the earth again. The first Sunday in this same February month, from my place at morning service, looking out on the townsfolk who had come in with orders, I saw a lady, very little and pretty, staring fixedly at me from afar. The face—where had I seen her face? It seemed familiar, but I could not tell how or where I had known it. <A small slight face of almost an ivory white, and wide-open light blue eyes that had plenty of confidence in them. Sophie Chalk! I should have recognized her in the first moment but for the different mode -in which her hair was dressed. Wonderful hair! A vast amount of it, and made the most of. She wore it of its natural colour to-day, brown, and the red tinge on it shone like burnished gold. She knew me; that was certain; and 1 could not help watching her. Her eyes went roving away presently, possibly in search of Tod. I stole a glance at him; but he did not appear to see her. What brought her to Oxford? We got out of church. I took care to hold my tongue. Fod bad. (C(O) ee DE eee a ——aeeE. nether ae ne i mae ce a —-