The Argosy — page 324: what you’re looking at

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

A Rare Case. 307 ‘She be always there,” replied his companion. ‘‘ I’ve come along days, and I’ve come along nights; I’ve passed by Stonedene in fair weather, and in storms as threatened to send the waggon over the cliff; and days or nights, fair weather or foul, I’ve seen her on the watch.” “On the look-out for a tenant for Master Drew,” said the first speaker, cracking the long cart-whip in his hand. ‘*‘ Aye; so it would appear.” “Vet the house doesn’t let,” remarked the other, looking back over his shoulder as they passed the gate. “Nor it won’t let! Why, who’d take it? Who in their senses leastwise ?” Along of it being that much out of repair, you mean ?” ‘©T don’t mean no such thing. What’s a day’s work or so about a place like that? It won’t let because it’s an unlucky house. Drew | is an unlucky man, and always was. ‘There’s a spell upon the house. | Who but Drew would have put a mad woman in for to take charge | of it? There’s a spell upon it, I say.” Both men looked back, but the house was no longer visible; the fog hid it. | The next person to pass along the road was Drew himself; and it must be allowed that if Drew was really an unlucky man, he failed to look the part. ‘There was about him a certain cheerfulness of aspect | that might have defied the worst ill-luck could do him. It was in | the cheerfulest of voices too, that, half checking the horse in the shafts of the light cart he drove, he called out a greeting to his care-taker as he went by: or would have gone by, had not an imploring gesture | of her hand induced him to pull up altogether. The gate at which she stood opened upon a farm track leading to the crest of the Downs. ‘The door of the house was at the side of the track, and just within the gate which the young woman now | threw open. / ‘*Must I turn in, ma’am ?” said the farmer, in his hearty voice. | “Well, if there’s no help for it, I suppose I must, though time presses with me this afternoon.” | ‘Dol trouble you so often that you grudge me a few minutes ? | When I asked you to leave me here I promised to give no trouble; I have kept my word,” she said. ** You have—to be sure you have; the more reason I should turn | in now, or at any time when you make a point of it. Maybe, it is in my interest you make a point of it to-day ; you think I should see | to the place a bit; there’s more plaster fallen. No chance of a tenant with a house in this state.” “Tt is an unlucky house; or so they say,” she replied, glancing carelessly round upon the fallen plaster lying where it fell, and the ' tangled weeds in the garden. - “YJ don’t hold with ill-luck, Law bless you, ma'am! I’ve seen ‘ COMIC OOO S (CO) im