The Argosy — page 369: what you’re looking at

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

348 Aunt Paradox. “Not I; [’m not going to stand on ceremony with Aunt Paradox. We'll go round to the other door.” The other door was the kitchen-door, and stood open. Richard was at it first, and halted in silence; his friend behind him. ‘The girl, busy with her asparagus, did not observe them, and they stopped a moment, looking at her. Just then a stout little ball of a woman with a soft, plump, yet shrewish face, entered from the house passage opposite. “Now then, Mary, is that asparagus not done?” she called out, in shrill tones. ‘‘ What an idle girl you are. You’yve —— ” In looking up, Mary Damer caught sight of the strangers. One moment of doubt, and then down went knife and asparagus upon the kitchen table, and her joyful arms were clinging to her brother. “Oh, Dick, is it you! Aunt Paradox, it is Richard!” ‘Dear me, and what if it is !—you needn’t make a fuss over him,” cried Mrs. Paradox, who never had a pleasant word for Richard, before his face or behind his back. ‘** How do you do, Aunt Paradox,” said he, holding out his hand to her. ‘* Allow me to introduce to you my friend, Mr. Ryde. George, this is my sister Mary. We have taken you by surprise,” he added to the elder lady, who was surreptitiously smoothing down her morning gown and giving twitches to her light curls, which were fewer and scantier than they used to be—while Mary received the stranger with the sweet and kindly grace of a young princess. “Tndeed you have,” said Mrs. Paradox, in answer to Richard’s last remark—‘“ coming into the house this way! ‘There is a front door.” ‘We found it bolted, and came round to save trouble,” said he. “You would have been heard had you knocked. Hannah is only sweeping down the stairs. Will you walk this way now? You can come also, Mary: Hannah will finish that asparagus.” She led the way to the best sitting-room ; a pretty room, well furnished. For Aunt Paradox had some good furniture which she had never parted with ; and her own income was somewhat over two hundred pounds a year. One can live comfortably in a rural district upon that. They took their seats, and Richard Damer disclosed the news. Mr. Damer of Hartley Manor was dead ‘Yes, I saw it in the Zzmes nearly three weeks ago,” she inter- rupted. ‘All that while ago, and nobody has had the common courtesy to write to apprise me of it.” Richard began to explain about the missing will. They had waited until that should be found, or else given up as lost, before apprising her. In the old will she took an annuity of five hundred pounds ; in the “JT know I did,” she again interrupted. ‘But I thought Charles Damer would probably have made a fresh will.” “As he had,” said Richard. ‘ But the new one cannot be found GOMIIGDOoOks (E(@)