The Argosy — page 325: what you’re looking at

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

308 A Rare Case, too much of life for that. A man makes his own luck—and a woman too.” The girl shook her head impatiently. “T tell you they call it an unlucky house. What has it been to me? and you—did you do so well here that you can afford to laugh at the notion P” ‘Times were hard,” he said; ‘‘luck had naught to do with it; and times have mended with me since. But if you don’t like the house, why not leave it?” ‘“T must earn my living,” she returned, quickly. ‘‘ He would be better pleased I should do that alone as I am here, than in the old way. Iam sure of it, Mr. Drew.” “Tf the house lets ”’ began the farmer, but she cut short his speech. “Tf it lets I will come back to you; but till it does some one must be here, and why not I as well as another? ‘There was a gentleman came to look over it only the other day.” ‘You told him what a lonesome seeming place it was, for all it stands so near the town,” said the farmer, with a somewhat rueful look upon his round and cheery countenance. ‘‘T did,” she replied, eagerly ; ‘‘and how the wind sweeps across the Downs; or when it blows from the sea on stormy days is so strong and fierce you can scarce keep your feet outside the door.” ‘‘ And how warm it is in summer,” Drew suggested. ‘Certainly ; I told him that as well—how there is no speck of shade anywhere within sight, except the shadow thrown by the house itself—an unlucky house, Mr. Drew.” “Aye; I’ve no doubt you told him all about it, and that he went away fully satisfied, and with no notion of coming to me or of wanting any further information,” said Drew, drily. ‘‘ That’s about all the ill-luck there is, I take it—that I get no tenant.” He knew very well that he should get none as long as this woman was here; this woman who, amongst all the misfortunes she had known, would count it the greatest that could still befall her should she have to leave Stonedene. ‘You have heard nothing ?”’ she asked, after a moment or two of silence, during which her eyes had turned again to watch the road before the gate. ‘‘ You would be sure and tell me if you had. It was to you he said—what did he say? Tell me the words again.” She drew a step or two nearer, and laid her hand upon the side of the cart as she spoke. ‘Tt was on the Downs ———” he began, but she interrupted him again, and took up the tale herself. ‘Ves, with the sheep feeding all round. You two were alone—he had sent meback. ‘The bells were 1inging in the churches of the town—lI hear them now: it was on the Downs, and he said " “We walked a bit together,” Drew went on, as though by Gomicsooks.co