The Argosy — page 385: what you’re looking at

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

304 Prudence Hart. and she is so nice in many ways, and I don’t believe she means any harm. It is only that—I think—she does not tell the truth,” she would say, a little troubled, and yet unable to resolve that, if other people’s eyes were shut, it was her business to open them. So she kept silent; and Prudence went on her way rejoicing. But on a certain morning, when autumn had begun, and the beech trees were growing red and dropping their leaves upon the lawn, the postman brought a letter to Miss Hart, from which unexpected results ensued. It was a letter addressed in a man’s hand, and when she received it at the breakfast-table, Prudence blushed a little, and slipped it into her apron pocket unopened, and when the meal was ended took her departure from the apartment rather hastily: after which for a good while nobody saw her any more. After an hour or two had passed, however, Mrs. Verner was seated by herself in the dining-room with her desk and her account books before her, when Miss Hart’s gentle fingers opened the door, and her soft step having brought her to Mrs. Verner’s side, down she unex- pectedly plumped there on the floor, giving the elder lady, who was busy with her bills, rather a turn. | ‘““What’s the matter, my dear?” she said quickly, looking round. ‘“‘OQh, dearest Mrs. Verner, nothing is the matter,” answered Pru- dence, sweetly. She had a pretty colour in her cheeks, and in her eyes the softest look of modest confusion. ‘ Nothing is the matter —unless you should be angry ; but you won’t be that, I think, because I am so happy. I have come to tell you first of all. Dear Mrs. Verner, I am—I am going to be married.” “Married, Prudence !” cried Mrs. Verner, quite taken aback, for she had thought she knew all the girl’s concerns, and had calmly come to the conclusion long ago that she had never had a lover in her life. “Yes. I knew I should surprise you,” answered Prudence, softly laughing, ‘‘ for I never told you, did I? SButit has been such a long attachment—oh, such a long attachment! and—and there were difficulties ; but he can do what he hkes now, and my only trouble, dear Mrs. Verner, is that I must leave you all at once. Yes, at once, for he is going with his regiment to Canada almost immediately, and —and there will be so many things to do, you know.” ‘‘ But, Prudence, where do you propose to go to?” exclaimed the matron, feeling almost scandalized at the rapidity with which Miss Hart was preparing to transact the whole affair. “You can’t be married in a moment, my dear child.” ‘Oh, no; but he asks me to go and stay in London with his brother,” explained Prudence, with another sweet and modest smile. ‘‘His brother is married. I don’t know his wife, but that doesn’t matter, does it? And they have sent an invitation to me to go to them, and they want to have our wedding from their house. Are they not kind? But I think everybody is kind. Wherever I go people are so good to me,” said grateful Prudence, ECONMMICLOCO)<S_(6©