The Argosy — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

36 The Ebony Box. with deference. Anyway, it was a sort of theory, serving passably well in the absence of any other. But who knew? All that was cer- tain about it was the fact ; the loss and the recovery after many years. It happened just as here described, as I have already said. Sam Dene had never heard of the loss. Captain Cockermuth, perfectly beside himself with glee, explained it to him. Sam laughed as he touched with his forefinger the closely-packed golden guineas, lying there so snug and safe, offered his congratulations, and walked home to tea. It chanced that on that especial Tuesday evening, matters were at sixes and sevens in the Parslets’ house. Sally had misbehaved herself and was discharged in consequence; and the servant engaged in her place, who was to have entered that afternoon, had not made her appearance. When Sam entered, Maria came out of the parlour, a pretty blush upon her face. And to Sam the unexpected sight of her, it was not often he got a chance of it, and the blush and the sweet eyes came like a gleam of Eden, for he had grown to love her dearly. Not that he had owned it to himself yet. Mariaexplained. Her school had broken up for the Easter holidays earlier than it ought, one of the girls showing symptoms of measles ; and her mother had gone out to see what had become of the new servant, leaving a request that Mr. Dene would take his tea with them in the parlour that evening, as there was nobody to wait on him. Nothing loth, you may be sure, Mr. Dene accepted the invitation, running up to wash his hands, and give a look at his hair, and running | down in atrice. The tea-tray stood in readiness on the parlour table, Maria sitting behind it. Perhaps she had given a look at “er hair, for it was quite more lovely, Sam thought, more soft and silken than any hair he had ever seen. The little copper kettle sang away on the hob by the fire. ‘ Will papa be long, do you know?” began Maria demurely, feeling shy and conscious at being thus thrown alone into Sam’s company. ‘‘T had better not make the tea until he comes in.” “JT don’t know at all,” answered Sam. ‘‘ He went out on some business for Mr. Cockermuth at half-past four, and was not back when I left. Such a curious thing has just happened up there, Miss Parsiet |” ‘Indeed! What is it ?” Sam entered on the narrative. Maria, who knew all about the strange loss of the box, grew quite excited as she listened. ‘‘ Found!” she exclaimed. ‘Found in the same bureau! And all the golden guineas In it!” “Every one,” said Sam: ‘‘as I take it. They were packed right up to the top!” bee ‘‘Oh, what a happy thing!” repeated Maria, in a fervent tone that rather struck Sam, and she clasped her fingers into one another, as one sometimes does in pleasure or in pain, Gomicbooksneo m