The Argosy — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

Valentina. 149 The face of Miss Miranda Kettaway opposite was glued to the window. Miss Susan had twice over told her she was waiting for that sleeve she was basting ; but she did not move. “ He’s come out at last!” she cried, drawing an angry breath. *‘ What on earth has he been doing there ? ” Had Miss Miranda heard that his errand had been ‘shirts ” she might have swooned. II, The cloth was brought to Jessy by Ann Seabright, together with the pattern, and an immense amount of intricate instruction from her own lips. | “T’m past fine work myself,” said Ann, ‘‘and I shouldn’t like to trust my fingers with the cutting out ; but I’ve not forgotten how good shirts ought to be made; and be sure you take care to allow plenty everywhere for the turnings-in, Miss Moon ; leave a good margin at the gussets ; I’m not going to see him cramped in the arm-holes.” Of course it was only natural that during the process of making these essential garments their future wearer should call in to see how they were getting on. The Miss Kettaways, sitting at their window to take a short rest between the lights of an evening, saw him go in pretty often, and made comments accordingly. “The question is—what does he want there?” asked Miss Miranda. ‘‘She must be a forward creature not to shut her door against him ; a handsome man, and all.” “Well he does seem to go pretty regular, and it can’t be for nothing,” allowed Miss Susan, who was never ill-natured. ‘‘I’ll step ever one of these odd days and warn her that folks may get talking if she doesn’t mind; she’s inexperienced, you see.” But the odd day never came ; the sisters just then were much ‘ drove,” as they expressed it, with the new spring costumes. One fine morning, when the air was warm and the skies were blue, Jessy Moon put Valentina and her stand outside the door, to get the benefit of the sunshine. The window of the work-room opposite was open ; thus the ladies, stitching away behind it, had their ears regaled with the conversation of that sociable bird. “Warm day! Valentina wants a nut. Good morning. How’s Jessy? Fine man, Drake; very fine man!” “ Did you hear that, Susan ?” whispered Miss Miranda, sticking her needle for safety into the green body in process, and bending forward to listen further. “Fine man, Drake; very fine man. Come in; come in and take a chair.” “There it is again! The same words ; all about Drake,” shivered Miss Miranda. ‘The men are all alike ; don’t trust ’em.” VOL. XLI. L COMIC OOO SS) (SO) im