The Argosy — page 289: what you’re looking at

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

The Key of the Church. 275 I have cut myself some slices of meat for now—if you chance to miss any mutton.” Molly, never answering, left her kitchen-grate, where she was be-- ginning to crack up the huge flat piece of coal that the fire had been raked with the previous night, and stalked into the larder to see. what depredations had been done. We tied up the bottle in paper on the parlour table, and then wrapped it in a sheet of loose music. It looked a pretty thick roll ; but nobody would be likely to remark that. “‘T have a great mind to gowith you and see nm, Johnny!” said Tod, as we went together down the garden path. ‘*“Qh, don’t, Tod! For goodness sake, don’t ! You know you never do go in with me, and it might cause old Bumford to wonder.” Tl leave it till after dark to-night, then. Go 10, I shall.” Bumford was astir, but not down yet. I heard him coughing through | his open casement ; for I went with a purpose round the path by his house, and called out to him. He looked out im his shirt-sleeves and a cotton nightcap. “You see how early Iam, this morning! [I'll bring you the key when I leave.” : | ‘“‘ Eugh !” growled Bumford. “No rights to ha’ took it.” Locking the church door securely after me, I went along the aisle, calling softly to Fred. He came forward from a dark, high-walled pew, behind a pillar, where he had slept. You should have seen him devour the bread and meat, if you’d like to know what hunger means, and drink at the bottle of beer. I sat down to practise. Had old Bumford not heard the sound of the organ, he might have come thundering at the door, to know what I was about, and what the silence meant. Fred came with me, and we talked while I played. About the first question he asked was whether Gisby was dead; but I could not tell him. He said he had gone out cautiously in the night and walked about the churchyard for an hour, thinking over what he could do. ‘And I really had an unpleasant adventure, Johnny,” he added. “‘ What was itp” “I was pacing the path under the hedge towards Bumford’s, when all at once there arose the sound of voices and steps on the other side of it—fellows on the look out after me, I suppose.” I held my breath. ‘“‘ What did you do?” *“‘ Crouched down as well as I could—fortunately the hedge is high —and came softly and swiftly over the grass and the graves to the porch. I only slipped inside just in time: before I could close the door, the men were in the churchyard. The key has a trick of creaking harshly when turned in the lock, you know ; and I declare I thought they must have heard it then, for it made a fearful noise, and the night was very still !” “ And they did-not hear it? ” EOMRniilElooe _ SS (CO)