The Argosy — page 303: what you’re looking at

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

280 low Kenrick Marned Fuliet Eustis. and the fact that you could even ask such a question confirms me in my decision. JI want no man to call himself my friend who is not thoroughly open. I heard you caution your companion to keep your secret ———” “Tt wasn’t that I was ashamed of it, but I didn’t want to have all the gossips busy with my name,” he eagerly explained. ‘You have heard me express my opinion on such matters before, I think.” ‘“T have, but I thought you would make a difference in my favour. Oh, Miriam ! surely you loved me a little.” ‘“Mr. Kenrick, you are insolent!” cried Miriam. And, turning from him abruptly, she hastened down the corridor and was soon out of sight. And when some of her Plainford friends asked her, that autumn, if she had ever regretted her summer at the Sahna House, she truthfully replied : ‘By no means! On the contrary, I think it was one of the wisest things I ever did ; the if ees I gained while there was worth a ereat deal to me.’ She did not consider it necessary to explain what that experience was, however. She kept her own counsel, even when one of Ralph Kenrick’s cousins said : ‘Ralph was at Sahna, I hear. Of course you saw him?” “Oh, ‘¢ And, doubtless, heard of his good fortune? He would hardly keep it a secret from you,” a decided emphasis on this last word. ‘Was he not fortunate ?” ‘“T hope it will prove a fortunate thing for him.” ‘Money is very handy to have in the house; and Ralph couldn’t marry without it.” ‘‘Did you go to the country or to the sea this summer?” was Miriam’s way of declining to discuss Ralph’s matrimonial venture. How does news travel? Miriam told no one, except Rhoda, what she had heard Ralph say to his friend, and Rhoda always declared that she had never breathed it to a single soul; yet before the autumn leaves had lost their glory of crimson and gold, scarlet, lemon, brown, and russet, it was generally understood in Plainford that young Kenrick had married that summer a girl with no end of money, and all his devotion to Miriam Thorndyke meant nothing. Luckily Miriam did not know that a score of tongues were dis- cussing her ‘‘ disappointment ”; she had not the least notion how often she was pitied because Kenrick had jilted her. It was quite enough to have bestowed her love on a worthless object ; this half- contemptuous pity would have nearly maddened her had she been cognisant of it. One beautiful afternoon, early in November, Miriam was walking home from school by an unusual and out-of-the-way route; the rich COMIC LOOKS, (E00)