The Argosy — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

106 Margaret Rymer. ‘‘ Anybody at home ?” called out Tom Coney, as he stopped his whistling and opened the hall door. ‘All nght, Tom. Come along.” And, to tell the truth, I was not sorry to see Tom’s hearty face. He had stayed away from evening service to sit with his mother. _ ‘“‘T say, Tom, did you see any fellow on the snow there?” “On the snow where ?”’ asked Tom. “There; close before the shrubs.” And I told him what had happened. Tom, one of the most practical fellows hving, with less imagination than an ostrich, received the account incredulously. ‘You dropped asleep, Johnny, and fancied it.” *‘T did not drop asleep, and I did not fancy it. When you came into the garden I was about to open the window and call to him.” “Those headaches are downright stupefying things, Johnny. Jane has them, you know. One day, I remember, she fell asleep with a bad one, and woke up and said the sofa was on fire.” ‘¢Tom, I tell you, the man was there. A tall, strong-looking fellow with a beard. He was staring at the house with all his might-—at this room, as it seemed to me, wanting to come forward, I think, but afraid to. He kept close to the laurels, as if he did not wish to be seen ; forgetting, perhaps, that they were white and betrayed him. When you opened the gate, he was there.” “It’s odd, then, where he could have put himself,” said Tom Coney, not giving in an inch. “I’ll vow not a soul was there, man or woman, when I came up the path.” ‘“That’s true. He vanished ina moment. While I was looking at him he disappeared.” ‘Vanished! Disappeared! Your words apply to a ghost, Johnny.” ‘* Ghost be hanged ! It was some ill-doing tramp, I expect, trying to look and see if he might steal into the house.” “Much you know of the ways of tramps, Johnny Ludlow! Tramps don’t come showing themselves on snow-lighted, open lawns, in the face and eyes of the front windows. They hide themselves in obscure hedges and by-ways. It’s a case of headachy sleep, young man,” ‘Look here, Tom. If the man was there, his footprints will be there ; if he was not, as you say, the snow will be smooth and level : come out and see.” We went out at once, Tom catching up a stick in the hall, and crossed the lawn. Sure enough, there were the footprints, plenty of them, indented in the deep snow. ‘Tom gave in then. ‘“‘T wish to goodness I had seen him! The fellow should not have got off scot-free, I can tell him that. What tremendous feet he must have! Just look at the size, Johnny. Regular crushers.” “ Don’t you go and say again I was asleep! He must have stepped CORNICE OOS (GO)