The Argosy — page 172: what you’re looking at

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

A Shower of Daffoitls. 157 IIT, Next day the rain set in afresh as the two travellers started on their journey. Miss Roper, who was, as we have said, liable to sudden headache, which was generally accompanied by a good deal of contra- riness, and who had not liked being told she was not to go with Evelyn to the house, had one of her attacks in the train soon after starting. And when they were only half way to Marshlands, she solemnly declared herself incapable of going another mile. The train was stopping at Brewe now, and she had a sister at Brewe; they had better stay the night and go on in the morning, she pointed out. Evelyn would not hear of it. ‘‘In the morning my poor father may be gone,” she pleaded. ‘‘ He will think he called his own child to his side, and she would not come.” ‘“ He has done nothing for you all his life, and has no right to you now—that is my opinion, and you had better wait.” And Miss Roper got out of the train, waiting for Evelyn to follow. But she resolutely kept her seat, and before Miss Roper had time to rejoin her, the train steamed out of the station. Some stations further on, Evelyn changed on to a branch line.e A block then occurred, which delayed the train considerably. So it was quite dark when she at last stepped on to the platform of the Marshland station, which was a mere shed of a place. Someone was to meet her to drive her to the village, more than three miles distant. But to her dismay she found no one waiting, although it was so much after the time the train should have arrived. It was clear there was some mistake, possibly occasioned by that same delay. Evelyn enquired for a fly or cab. “Cab, miss?” returned the station-master, rather sarcastically. “No cabs in these — ; and no horses, for the matter of that. They are never asked for.” “What am I to do?” said Evelyn. ‘“‘ The village is three miles away, I believe, and I don’t know the way to it. I might lose myself, and——” ‘¢ And,” echoed the station-master, with a pause tor emphasis, ‘‘the floods are out. You could never reach the village to-night.” ‘But what can I do?” exclaimed Evelyn, feeling ready to cry with perplexity. “Vou couldn’t stay here,” said the station-master, consolingly. “I must close the station presently.” “Only tell me the way and I will go, and risk it,” said Evelyn, with all the dignity at her command considering the unpleasant novelty of the position. The man gave her some directions in an ungracious way, for he thought the expedition one of folly, and concluded with the assur- ance that she would have to turn back at the first meadow. Evelyn passed down the country road in the darkness until she EOMIGIOOKS (CO)