The Argosy — page 222: what you’re looking at

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

205 ARABELLA AY 4 hee SALES, SCENE I, Old-fashioned rectory within the London radius. Flot July day. The Rev. CHARLES FAIR LOP, stout, letsurely, peaceable, ortho- lox parson, his daughter Soputa, sensible girl of nineteen, and fis sister ARABELLA, flighty damsel of fifty, are gathered beneath the shade of thetr broad cedar tree, letters and newspapers in their hands. ARABELLA (with vivacity). ‘Yes, yes, here they are, every one of them. ‘Summer Clearance Sales’ all over the page. Marshall and Snelgrove, Debenham and Freebody, Harvey and Nicholls, Swan and Edgar, Gask and Gask, Peter Robinson—Whiteley, of course. Oh! and here are even Howell and James, Russell and Allen, Lewis and Allenby, Redmayne i RECTOR (looking mildly round). ‘What are you talking about, Arabella? What are all those names ?” ARABELLA. “So like a man, is it not, Sophia? He does not even know that these are 74e shops of London, He will say he has never either seen or heard of them !” Rector. ‘‘I suppose I have heard of them ; I may have seen them ; but I cannot imagine what either you or I have now to do with them. You do not want anything.” ARABELLA (¢hrows up her hands). ‘‘Not want anything! My dear brother, here have I been waiting, waiting for these July sales to be on, going without a waterproof all through the cold spring weather; and—and Sophia wants a light dress, and Jane has been asking for new tablecloths, and John Thomas has broken his hoe.” (Sopuras. laughs and is pounced upon.) ‘Laugh if you please, but I know what I am about: I know how to take advantage of an opportunity : I think for the future. These sales are ——” Rector. ‘ All very well in their way, my dear, but : ARABELLA (excitedly), ‘““The bargains one picks up are beyond everything. My cousin Maria bought last year a dozen yards of lace flouncing for as many shillings, and half a dozen remnants of sash ribbon for nearly as few pence. Ball shoes she only gave one-and- ninepence for ‘ Sopuia. ‘‘ What did Maria want with ball shoes ?” ARABELLA. ‘It would have been a sin and shame to let them go. And as for the flouncing, it will last her for years.” SopuHia. ‘It will, for she will never use it.” ARABELLA ( feevishly). ‘‘ How you do lie at the catch! I heard you COMICHOOKS. CO im