The Argosy — page 168: what you’re looking at

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

Valentina. 153 them could have said; but he suddenly lifted her to him and gave her a hearty kiss, for he knew he should have his wife. “* Men are all alike ; don’t trust ’em,” said Valentina. Not long after Miss Jones’s wedding-dress of cinnamon-brown had gone home, the Miss Kettaways found themselves called upon to make another. Miss Miranda had stepped out to try on a spencer when the bride elect called to give the order. MHearing the news on her return she sat down in a sea of consternation. “Going to be married !—to Aim /—that Jessy Moon! Well, she has played her cards craftily.” ‘“T see nothing amiss in her,” returned Miss Susan. ‘‘She’s modest and civil speaking ; one can’t say otherwise.” ‘You never see nothing amiss in nobody, Susan,” retorted Miss Miranda, whose speech was not always on the high ropes in vexa- tious moments. ‘‘ What’s the dress to be ?” ‘* Grey twill, faced with same coloured silk. I made her have the facings of silk ; she wanted to say it was too grand for her. ‘Not a bit of it, Jessy,’ said I. ‘You are going to be a good man’s wife, who has a nice house and a good business, and to havea servant of your own; you ought to have had it all silk.” And so she ought,” concluded Miss Susan. “'There’s that beast of a parrot outside again to-day,” cried the younger sister. ‘“* Just hark at her!” “ Meddling old maid !—ugly old maid!” shrieked out Valentina from over the way. ‘The men are all alike ; don’t trust ’em.” HS tS CoOnnicoooks (CO)