The Argosy — page 246: what you’re looking at

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

A Story of the Sea-shore. 229 that it was breakfast-time, just as she had forgotten the tea-hour the previous afternoon, when love-making with Thomas Reece. Sud- denly she remembered it, and ran off with nimble feet. “T am wonderfully surprised at this little Hebe,” thought Ernest Loraine, as he strolled back to breakfast at the hotel, which was newly built, and stood just beyond the other end of the village. “ And yet not so surprised,” he added in contradiction, after another moment, ‘‘ for it was impossible to think of her as one of these ignorant fishing-girls: her appearance carries ‘lady’ with it beyond all dispute. She is delicate as any lady in the land—and she speaks as we do—and she appears to be educated. Where’s the riddle, I wonder P” | ‘Well, Ernest, had your half-hour’s row?” cried Mr. Loraine, accosting him from the door of the hotel, where he stood lounging, with two or three other gentlemen. “No, uncle, not yet. I shall go later.” “Sensible man! When-you young fellows get as old as I am, you'll have learnt that the best thing to take first is breakfast.” Ernest laughed and put his arm within his uncle’s as they turned to the breakfast-room. The two were deeply attached to one another: and Ernest was his heir. That was the beginning of the acquaintance. Ernest Loraine did not let it end there. He sought Serena’s society; he walked with her upon the beach, he rowed with her in Peter’s skiff, and he dropped in occasionally at her home. Hugh Moncton did not repulse this stranger from the outside world, whom he met at first accidentally. He grew to like his companionship ; he would sit and talk with him for hours upon subjects to which his lips had long been strangers; at last he seemed to watch for his coming. He never thought of him in connection with Serena. It’s true she would sit by, listening, but she rarely spoke; and Moncton knew nothing of the strolls upon the beach or the other out-door meet- ings. Now that Serena was engaged and had given her promise to Reece, he deemed her perfectly secure and safe. And so the dan- serous companionship for Serena went on: and Mr. Moncton grew to like the young man so greatly that he imparted to him what had _ never before passed his lips—his own history. ““I knew she must have been born a gentlewoman,” thought Ernest Loraine. And his attentions to her were redoubled, for he loved her passionately, with a pure and honest love. But when the truth burst upon Hugh Moncton, it nearly drove him mad. One morning when he was down in the market, where the super- fluous fish, not sent off by train, was sold, two old sailors, who had ever been his good friends and comrades, took him aside to tell him, believing it to be their duty. His pretty lass, who was to have been Tom Reece’s wife, was spending all her leisure time with another ; the rich and handsome young blade at the hotel. And Tom Reece CONNIClOO© —— = aoe — - SS a —E ——e - NN eee ee —EEEEEOEEOEOEOEOEOeEeeEeOeeeeeeS OEE EOE EO OO OO } i |