The Argosy — page 296: what you’re looking at

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

My Saturdays. 275 Archibald’s excited mood died away under Rhoda’s soothing com- panionship; and though he did not give her any confidence, he roused himself to put aside his own affairs, and began to talk to her about some of her husband’s, in which he was much interested. It was already late in the afternoon when they established themselves there, and they had had time for a long conversation, when a hand was laid on Archie’s shoulder, and Lady Jacobs said hurriedly : “Mr. Rintoul, where is Miss Moville?” He scarcely looked round, and answered: ‘‘T don’t know; I have hardly seen her this afternoon.” ‘Oh, where can she be? We can’t find her ; and this place is so small, she cannot be lost. Nearly every one has gone away, and she wouldn’t go home alone.” Archie sprang to his feet, and faced the poor old lady, flushed and distressed. . ‘‘ Where has she been? She must have been talking to some one. Who saw her last ?” “T can’t make out that any one has seen her for ever so long. Mrs. Minton said something which annoyed her, and she walked away, and after that no one knows anything about her. To tell the truth, I thought she was with you, not seeing either of you, and I hindered Lady Anderton from looking forher. Oh!” beginning to cry, “I hope I have not killed the dear child !” “Dear Lady Jacobs,” Rhoda interposed, ‘“‘there is no reason to be so much frightened. Very likely Miss Moville has gone for a row with somebody, and they have forgotten how late it is. If Mr. Rintoul were to take his canoe, and go out on the river, he might see something of them, and hurry them back.” “That’s the very thine,” said Archie, and dashed off to the little _landing-place, the other two hurrying after him. I met him there, just as he stopped short, and exclaimed : “‘Tt’s not here! She’s gone out in it!” *‘ Somebody else might have taken it,” I said, feeling my heart sink as I remembered the talk of the other night. ‘‘ Let me count the other boats. No; they are all right.” “Then the only boat missing is the canoe; and she is missing ; and she can’t swim,” exclaimed Archie, wildly. : “That is no reason why she should be upset,” I said ; ‘‘ she is well accustomed to manage it.” ‘* Not on a river where there are steam-launches.”’ ‘“T don’t think there have been any this afternoon.” “One went up about an hour ago,” put in Lucilla, in a tearful quaver. | “Oh, my child!” shrieked Lady Anderton. ** A steam-launch is not sentence of death,” said Rhoda, withsome asperity. ‘Instead of our all standing here talking, it would be much ECORnNIClOOKKS (C©) mn