The Argosy — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

All Souls’ Eve, 63 Mother Coe, in perfect glee. ‘‘ Then Madame set-to, and wrangled with him ; and Master Francis brought out that he liked somebody else better —and of course, my dear, we know who that is. Upon which Madame’s rage ran sky high, and she gave him a flat box on both his ears. He is to serve hts seven years. Madame will not buy hima substitute. In her passion she swore it.’ ‘But his father?” Clara shivered, much shocked and bewildered. ‘His father! My dear, you might as well speak of a block of wood. Whatever Madame decrees, is law. She tamed the spirit out of her old husband years ago.” ‘“‘ But the property is his—the estate, the money ; it is not hers.” ‘Just as much his as it is mine, for any manner of use,” persisted Dame Coe. ‘ He dare not ask for a sou, that old man, and he never has one. He might as well ask Madame for her head as for money to buy his son off, unless:she chose to give it. No, Miss Clara. Femme Latange has not sworn to many things in her life, but she has to this. Poor Master Francis must serve.” Mademoiselle Adéle’s report was substantially correct. Master Francis had declined to marry Mam’selle Anastasie, and when his mother defiantly urged the contract, he said the contract might go and be hanged—to speak politely. So then she boxed his ears.. Upon which, Master Francis, his cheeks tingling with pain, and himself with anger, boldly avowed there was only one woman in the world should call him husband, and that was Clara Fitzgerald. Madame jigged about the room with rage, and finally fell on her knees and swore that he should serve his seven years as a soldier; she would find him no substitute. “At the end of that period he would come back glad enough to take to himself his deserving cousin Anastasie. , Oh, he would serve, Francis replied with bravado, and glad to do so; anything to get away from home tyranny. But he thought Mademoiselle Anastasie need not trouble herself to wait for him. Everybody said that before the time came for the calling out of the new recruits, Madame would grow cool and reasonable: she never would permit her fine son, of whom she was so proud, to serve as asoldier. It is probable that these were precisely Madame’s own intentions. But one early day, long before Madame or St. Eloi expected it, an order descended on the village like a clap of thunder. The new - recruits were to join forthwith : for war had broken out with Russia. War! Francis Latange to go forth and be shot at! Madame came to her senses at once: and she ordered the horses to the lumbering, window-rattling old family coach, that she might jog off to Calais to see about the substitute. ‘Spare yourself the trouble, mother,” said Francis. ‘I shall serve wy time.” ‘¢We are at war,” shricked Madame. “You'll get killed.” COIN () NOOKS (SO) im =)