The Argosy — page 343: what you’re looking at

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

322 The Ghost of ‘‘ Ours.” the conversation alive than for information. We had got out of the town now and were striding across the dewy pastures in a line for the spire of Penderell Church. ‘My uncle! not he. He was only too glad of the excuse for turning me adrift. I mean the excuse for himself to his own con- science. He would have done it before, but for her, se stood by me and pulled me through the first mess I got into. I think I hear him now, ‘I’ve Scriptural warrant for what I am doing’ (that was signing a big cheque with the Bible opened at the Prodigal Son, ready for the evening’s exposition, before him) ; ‘but remember, sir, even your prototype, with all his assurance, dzdn’t try it on twice.’ ” Ormsby stopped to laugh at the recollection. He had a boyish laugh and a boyish face under all his Indian sunburn. I wanted to hate and despise him, but couldn’t somehow, especially when his face fell suddenly and his voice quavered. ‘Think of her ever wishing to see me again, believing in me all through ! I tell you, Rivers, it was just the thought of her that drove me away. I new she’d stand by me and I couldn't drag her into disgrace ; so when the regiment left I just borrowed the railway fare from old nurse, ran up to town and enlisted in the Artillery. It seemed the one thing left to me.” ‘How have you got out again,” I asked naturally enough, “‘ before your time was up?” “The poor old woman was so miserable at my being a common soldier that she lent me all her savings to purchase my discharge, and that is how I came to be here again, with the regiment. It seems like a fatality! I never calculated on being sent out to India to the same station. As soon as I saw them at Secunderabad all my old troubles - seemed to start up again. I could have murdered Vandeleur if I had met him alone, and I felt mad to hear the voice of an old friend again. That was how I came to be hanging about Luxdale’s bungalow one night—but when I saw that other man there I made off, I don’t know how; I dared not trust myself within reach of him.” Ormsby. strode along in savage silence for some moments, ‘The twilight fell, and Penderell Church was looming dark and near: below it, in the valley, twinkled the lights of Penderell Court. Thinking over his story as I glanced askance at him, I understood somehow, even in that short acquaintance, how he came to fall into trouble so easily and pass through it so lightly. ‘Her strong nature will supplement his ; his loveable, light-hearted- ness will put sunshine into her life. They will be happy at last,” I mused. I couldn’t feel greatly elated at my achievement. I had done it all for her sake as I should have done any mortal thing she asked me, but it was at a cost to myself that I could not reckon ungrudgingly. We passed through a little wicket gate in the park paling into the Gomicbooks (elo) Mm