The Argosy — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

108 Margaret Rymer. continued to keep the business going. She understood the drugs tho- roughly. During the ten months, or so, that had elapsed since, the son had not made his appearance at home: Timberdale would say, ‘““Why does not Benjamin come back to carry on the business in his father’s place?” but it got no satisfactory answer. Latterly, Tim- berdale had let Benjamin alone, and busied itself with Margaret. Some six months ago, the Reverend Isaac Sale had come to Tim- berdale as curate. He wasan abrupt, dark little man of sterling worth, and some thirty years of age—older than the Rector. Margaret Rymer met him at the Sunday-school, where she taught regularly, and he fell desperately in Jove with her—if it’s not wrong to say that of a parson. In position she was not his equal; but Mr. Sale made no secret that he wanted Margaret to be his wife. Mrs. Rymer opposed it: How was the business to be kept going without Margaret, she demanded ; or herself either ? Mr. Sale had taken the curacy as only a temporary thing. He was avaiting for some expected appointment abroad. When it fell, Margaret Rymer would have to choose between sailing with him as his wife, or staying at home and giving him up for good. So said Timberdale. After standing to talk a bit with Margaret, who was out, she said, on an errand for her mother, I ran on to the rectory. Mr. Tanerton and his wife were in the snug little bow-windowed front room. He, spare and colourless, young, yet with cold grey eyes and thin light whiskers, sat by the blazing fire of wood and coal, that went roaring and sparkling up the chimney. Somehow Herbert Tanerton gave you the idea of being always in a chill. Intending to be kind in the main, he was yet severe, taking too much note of offences, and expecting all the world, and especially his own flock, to be better than gold. Grace, his wife, kind, genial, and open-hearted, sat at the window, Stitching a wristband for some one or other of her husband's shirts—he was as particular over ‘em as he was over the parish sins—and glancing cheerfully out between whiles at the snowy landscape. She wasa <apable woman, rather tall and slender, with bright, dark hazel eyes, and a wide mouth that seemed always to be smiling to show its pretty white teeth. Seeing me coming, she ran to open the porch door. They had no children. ‘Come in, Johnny! Is it not a lovely day? Herbert thinks it the coldest morning we have had. But he has been put out a little.” ‘What about ?” I asked, as the Rector turned in his chair to shake hands with me. “Mr, Sale is going to leave,” said she, as I sat down by the table “‘ The appointment he expected has been offered to him; it is a chap- laincy at the Bahama Islands. Mr. Sale has known of it for a week, and never told Herbert until yesterday.” ‘“ He spoke to me in the vestry after morning service,” said the CORNICE OOS (GO)