The Argosy — page 376: what you’re looking at

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

Aunt Paradox. 355 says he is like an owl for sedateness whenever they are alone together.” Arminia had a little holiday just then, it being the middle of the summer term. On the first day, after dinner, she was sauntering in the shady walk at the side of the garden, humming snatches of the last new song, and not at all aware that Mr. Ryde was sitting on the other side of the trees completing a sketch. They had been with him there in the morning until he went home to dinner, but did not know he had hastened back again. “Mary,” called out the young lady to her cousin indoors, ‘just bring me my parasol. ‘The pink one.” “‘T can’t find the pink one anywhere,” said Mary Damer, advancing with a green one. ‘ Here’s the other.” ‘Will they come over at all this afternoon, do you know ?” asked Armine, as she put up the parasol. “1 don’t know I’m sure.” “You never do know anything; you never take the trouble to know—as if you could not have asked Dick!” cried Miss Paradox reproachfully. “T did not think to ask him, Armine.” “To be sure not. It would not be youif you had thought. I wonder how you'll get through life, Mary ?” Not being able to answer, Mary was silent. “T expect you'll vegetate on here with my mother and grow into an old maid,” said Armine loftily. ‘‘ You have no fortune to speak of, as you don’t take anything under Mr. Damer’s will, just a hundred or two a year: and not possessing personal attractions to make up for it, the chances are yowll not marry at all. Mamma did think of you for Clement; but she and Dick have had a split upon the subject, so 2 “‘T would not have Clement if he were worth his weight in gold,” said Mary, taking courage to say it for the first time in her subdued life. ‘‘ Dick says he shall have me to live with him; I’m to keep house for him.” Armine tossed back her beautiful raven curls.” “All talk, my dear. Dick will marry, now that he has come into his fortune. He won’t have room for you.” “Shall you marry, Armine ?” asked the girl, with a sigh. “Why, of course I shall. What a silly question! Sooner than you suspect, perhaps. You shall come to London on a week’s visit to me now and then, Mary, if you behave yourself.” : “Then you will live in London ?” ** Certainly—for part of the year. But I’m not going to say any more about it now, only don’t you be surprised at anything that may hapven,” said Armine, sitting down on the bench under shelter of the trees. ‘‘ You may go and fetch mea book that I’ve left on the drawing-room sofa, Mary ” GOGO Oo SHC