The Argosy — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

Stephante. 47 Steenie reached the rectory just in time to intercept Mrs. Denham; who, hearing of the commotion, was on the point of going out to make inquiries. “You must not go, Mrs. Denham,” she said. “It is the fever.” And though she spoke with great calmness, there was a deep anxiety in her resolute young face. Kenneth Dart came in the course of half an hour, and found two baskets prepared instead of one, good old Mrs. Denham in tears, and Steenie still dressed. ‘Vou are surely not thinking of going among those people yourself,” he said, excitedly, when she took one of the baskets from the table, evidently with the intention of accompanying him. “Vou are going,” she answered, “‘and it will be no worse for me than it is for you.” “You area woman—I amaman. You have no mnght to expose yourself. ‘There is no need ——” She stopped him. ‘‘ There must be need if there is danger—the ereater the danger the greater the need. Ifyou please, Mrs. Denham,” turning to her friend, ‘‘ will you tell him you think I am doing right ?” Rector’s wife as she was, the old lady had her weaknesses, and surely the most natural of them was her love for pretty Steenie Bright. ‘““My dear,” she said, tearfully, ‘‘ you could not do wrong if you tried ; but I cannot help thinking—I really cannot help thinking, my love ” And she quite broke down in the excess of her motherly fear. But Steenie stood her ground. She looked straight at Kenneth Dart, with the first touch of girlish fire in her eyes he had ever felt the power of. ‘‘’'You know I am right,” she said. ‘‘ And I would rather die because I had helped people who were suffering, than live because I had left them to bear everything alone.” | He did not say another word. He went out of the room in silence. For a moment she felt a spark of indignation against him; but the instant it died out reaction followed, and she was sorry, just as a child might have been. She did not like to speak to him, and he did not speak to her; so they walked on without exchanging a word until they reached their destination. ‘Then, just as he laid his hand upon the latch, Steenie’s trouble became too much for her, and she looked up at him with her timid pain in her eyes. ‘ Mr. Dart,” she faltered. ‘“‘If you please, are you made you angry with me?” Had she been a child who had done him some wrong, she could not have spoken more simply. And she was so much better than he was— so far above him! Huis heart had never quickened at any speech or look of hers before, but it quickened then. And yet she did not speak warmly. ) Have I GOMGOOO (CO)