The Argosy — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

A Girl’s Folly. 31 ‘Mr. Vavasour does not hurt you. I wonder you should concern yourself with him!” ‘No trifling,” sternly spoke Thomas Watkyn. ‘I tell you it must be him or me.” She would not answer. “ Will you give him up, Alison, from this night ?” he pleaded. “No.” What inward spirit of evil prompted her to speak that short, sullen word, Alison never knew. But it was spoken. “Very well.” For long afterwards, the pain and pathos in those two short words haunted her like a wail from the grave. ‘Thomas stood before her, calm and self-possessed. ‘T will never trouble you again, Alison,” he said, quietly. ‘* Will you kiss me once—ere we say farewell for ever?” She felt awed at the sternness, the reality that was stealing upon their interview, and trembled at the thought of losing him. But she did not believe it would come tothat in the end, and she was too proud and wilful to take back her answer unsolicited. - With a playful air, half saucy, half defiant, she shyly held up slightly her red lips, while he kissed her with a long, lingering kiss, such as we give the dead. ‘‘ Good-bye,” he said, huskily. He strode away, leaving her stand- ing in the glow of the sunset, a wild, scared look on her young face. | ‘“ He will turn back,” she whispered to herself. ‘‘ Surely—surely ! —for I could not bear to lose him.” But Mr. Watkyn went straight on to the gate. " ‘Thomas !” she called out. ‘Thomas !” He turned then. ‘‘ What is it ?” he asked. Perhaps she had it in her mind to humble herself to him— who knows? She did nothing of the kind. A moment’s pause, possibly of indecision ; and then she produced a note from within the folds of her frock. ““ May I ask you to do me a little favour, Thomas—for the last time ?” ; ‘What is it,” he repeated. “If you would not very much mind going home by the hill, and would leave this note at Miss Ford’s. I particularly wish her to have it this evening.” | He paused for an instant, not replying. She went on hurriedly. “IT see that it is disagreeable to you. I have offended you too much.” “Not that,” he answered, holding out his hand for the note. ‘‘ But I can hardly spare the time for the long way this evening, as I have to call at Killick’s for my father. However—” he said no more, but took the note. ‘Good-bye, Thomas.” CORnNICOOOKS EO