The Argosy — page 253: what you’re looking at

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

A Country Heart. 195 watched their progress with intense interest, and was never so pleased as when their rapid growth required his services to hold another skein while Kate wound it. He possessed himself of the parcel now, and followed to the post-office, hurrying in to ask for the Myrtle Bank letters, by the second and undelivered mail, while Miss Verey remained outside chatting to Mrs. Briscoe, who, in spite of the damp, had been to call on the Rev. John and Mrs. Cannody, and welcome them to Torferry, in the hopes of getting a sermon or two out of them for her consumptive husband before the season was over. She had been rewarded by liberal promises of help from the gratified parson ; and now, by meeting face to face the young lady with whom it was said young Harry Tredennick was making himself a great fool, Mrs. Briscoe, who was a kind-hearted, foolish, and intensely meddlesome lady, equally inclined to “gush” as to take ready offence, was ‘‘just a little bit” surprised. You know that her own overtures of friendship had not been as readily responded to as the young Squire’s. Besides, she had an un- acknowledged grudge against Miss Verey in the shape of several yards of tumbled white book-muslin, which had come to nothing as hat trimming, and was not even available for window-blinds. So no wonder that the little woman felt inclined for a scrimmage with the audacious stranger, and accosted her in a tone of virtuous hostility as she approached, and Harry Tredennick, lifting his hat, disappeared into the post-office. Miss Verey, on her side, had no particular feelings of any sort for the Rectoress of Torferry, whom she found a dowdy little inquisitive person, and whose absorption in her neighbours’ affairs she could not at allcomprehend. But she had no objection to stand and chat with her in the middle of the High Street, especially when the party from the E/inore, the big steam yacht in the harbour, had just come ashore, and was also making for the post-office. Three men, in yachting dress, glanced approvingly at Kate Verey as they passed, and the last of them lifted his hat, half hesitatingly, as he looked a second time at the young lady, and she recognised him with a stately but gracious W. “A friend of yours?” gasped Mrs. Briscoe, so audibly that the gentleman must have heard. Kate waited calmly till he had entered the swing door of the office, and then turning to the lady, answered : “‘ Oh, yes ; otherwise I should not have bowed !” Mrs. Briscoe felt herself snubbed, and her colour rose; she rushed incontinently into the battle. “I’m glad if some of your own friends are coming down to see you while you are here; it will give Henry Tredennick time to attend to his reading. My husband says he has been quite idle lately, and will have no chance of his examination in October unless all this— well—dangling about, was the Rector’s expression—comes to an end.” COIN @ LOO S Coinnn