The Argosy — page 248: what you’re looking at

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

Philip Twyford’s Exchange. 233 carriage that misguided, for as a matter of fact, Jeannie was the taller of the two. Mr. Cooper allowed himself to be satisfied with the dressmaker’s dimensions: so it came about that Lettie’s order was made up to Jeannie’s pattern, and Jeannie’s to Lettie's. On the morning of the ball, the Squire received the following epistle : ‘‘150, Stanhope Gardens. ‘‘ Dearest old Guardian, ‘‘Miss Prim has gone home for a month, and I am bringing Jeannie Carson with me to-morrow. I suppose it will make no difference. She only left school at Christmas and has never been to a ball. ‘‘T mean to appear in such a dress! the like of which has never been seen in Woodridge. White satin and gold embroidery!! A real dazzler, I’m sure you'll say. Your loving ‘7 ETITIA PHILLIMORE.” ‘* A southerly wind and a cloudy sky, Proclaim a hunter’s morning.”’ So carolled the Squire when he had finished his good breakfast of rump-steak, and was surveying his “ pink” and top-boots with the satisfaction of a staunch cross-country rider. “Poor Philip! I might have offered him a mount. But there, he’ll be all the fresher for the ball to-night.” They had a splendid run that day. Two hours and twenty minutes’ hard riding. The Squire was not young, but he sat well and headed the field. When he got home, his mare had pulled frightfully, he said: he felt dislocated in every joint: and that after- noon all in the house agreed that he was not the man he used to be. “*T can’t take you to the ball to-night, girls,” he said. ‘It’s been a bit too much. for me. Lady Alcote will call for you. But you must let me see the dresses,” he added, with a merry twinkle of his eye. He sat quietly in his library while the girls unpacked. Presently he took a leaf out of his pocket-book; wrote a few words on it and rang the bell for a servant. ‘“‘Shan’t be there to see the working of it,” he muttered, ‘‘but I’ll give Master Phil the straight tip.” And this is how he did it. “Go in and win, my boy. Make for the white satin and gold embroidery.” — ‘To the barracks at once,” he said, handing his missive to the man. Great was the consternation upstairs when the mistake in the dresses was discovered. The girls might fume and abuse Mr. Cooper and the whole firm of Harley and West as much as they pleased, but there was nothing to be done, and they had to make the best of it. “It all comes of not going to be fitted,” said Lettie regretfully, “‘ but we really were too much occupied. Were we not, Jeannie?” VOL, XXXVIJ, Q Eomichooks co m