The Argosy — page 386: what you’re looking at

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

Prudence Hart. 365 The news was startling ; but of course the only thing to do was to facilitate Miss Hart’s departure. ‘The gentleman who was to be her husband had just come into a very good fortune, she informed them. “JT am sure you will be glad to know that I shail not be poor,” she told them meekly; and they were very glad, of course. They rejoiced in her happiness altogether very heartily. ‘‘The only thing we have to regret is that we must lose you,” they said to her. ‘But you will not lose me for ever, I hope,” Prudence answered very sweetly to this. ‘‘ My George hopes only to be abroad for a very few years, and then we shall settle in England, and I hope I shall see a gveat deal of you.” It had been on a Tuesday morning that she had received her letter, and so soon as Thursday she took her leave of them. “Why, you won’t see the boys again!” Mrs. Verner said once to her with a sudden thought: ‘ unless, indeed, they could call on you in London to say good-bye ?” But Miss Hart did not receive this provosition very warmly. *‘ Perhaps, as I do not know Mrs. Gardener yet, it might look like taking rather a liberty to ask visitors to her house—don’t you think so?” she asked anxiously. ‘‘And they would hardly care to come either, I daresay. Oh no, I think you had better say good-bye to them for me. Please say good-bye, with my very kind remem- brances.” ; And so when Thursday came she took her departure with smiles and tears. It was quite an affecting parting. Mr. and Mrs. Verner almost felt as if they were separating from a daughter. They gave her a handsome present to help her with her trousseau; they told her to let them have frequent news of her. ‘The boys will be so surprised,” Mrs. Verner repeated, an hour before the end came. “I shall write to Keith this afternoon and tell him. They will both be so sorry when they hear you are gone.” And accordingly, when Prudence was fairly launched on her new life, Mrs. Verner wrote her note, and Keith got it the next morning. He found it on his table when he came in to breakfast, and he read it in Godfrey’s presence, and as he read it he gave a gasp and turned deadly pale. ‘“‘T say, what’s up ?” cried his brother in surprise; and then without a word Keith dashed the letter on the ground, and the other picked it up and read it. The next moment Godfrey had struck his clenched hand on the table with a blow that made the cups and saucers ring, ‘ Confound her !” he cried furiously. But Keith only looked at him for a moment, and then walked blindly out of the room. His brother might curse her, but he had loved her too well for that. He felt as if his life was ended. Through the closed doors he heard Godfrey swearing, and he sat down alone, like a man who was stunned. Conniclooolks (C(O)