The Argosy — page 172: what you’re looking at

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

The Last Elin of the Avenue. 157 MacLeish laughed merrily. He was in high spirits, as excited as any school-girl at the prospect of a dance: asked me no end of questions about the Miss Pryse-Davieses, and made me solemnly pro- mise him introductions to all of them. ‘‘ By the way, I ought to have some money with me,” I said, as we passed through the barrack gate. ‘‘ We may want a cab home.” ‘Nonsense ; it’s a splendid night ; besides, I’ve plenty.” And he drew out his purse as he stood under the lamp. ‘No, it’s all gold; what a nuisance !” I noticed a pair of hungry eyes gleaming out of the darkness as he poured the money back, and saw a ragamuffin figure move slowly off. ‘Lucky there are two of us,” I thought. It was ‘a brilliant little dance. The rooms were prettily and gaily decorated, the local confectioner had surpassed himself in the supper, and the Pryse-Davies girls looked as fresh and bright as if they had not passed a whole day under a broiling sun on the racecourse. “Ts this wise?” I asked Miss Winnie, as we stood in the open French window of the dining-room, that looked on to the Parade. ‘‘ What! the open air? Qh, it never does me any harm; and the moon is rising so exquisitely.” ““T didn’t mean that exactly, but is it safe to leave these windows open? Look at the mob out there. The races have brought all the vagabondage of the country together.” There was a small enclosure in front of the house, and over the dwarf wall a crowd of shabby-looking people were gazing in at the brilliantly lighted room. ‘¢T’ll send two of the men round to order them off,” she said. The last that departed looked round at me with the curious eager eyes I had seen before. Meanwhile the fun was becoming rather fast and furious. They were getting up reels. One of the Highland officers had brought his bagpipes, on which the miscreant was a distinguished amateur per- former. MacLeish was one of the noisiest and gayest there. Icould hardly recognise the proud, reserved boy I knew. The Pryse-Davieses were bewitched with him and he with them. ‘What has come to you, MacLeish?” I asked, when I came upon him, sitting in a dark corner alone, his face buried in his hands. He looked up with a queer, wild smile. : ‘“T’m not mad, Jones, or melancholy. I’m /ey, that’s what it is.” ‘Come home now, there’s a good fellow: it’s past two, and you wanted to be early.” “Nota bit of it! Ive a valse with Miss Winnie, and half-a-dozen other dances to dispose of.” The other men departed by degrees, but MacLeish stayed on to the last, and I with him. I might have left him, but some instinct detained me, At last we took leave. COMMICOOOKS.CO©