The Argosy — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

14 Lady Grace. I had to hold her to me. But I did not pay myself for my trouble, as I am doing now—with kisses.” She lifted her face up and looked in his. ‘‘ You would only have liked to do so, Ryle.” ‘‘T have liked to do so!” he repeated, smothering back a glimmer of consciousness. ‘‘ Edith, my whole love is yours.” A little more love-making, a little more lingering in the soft shade of the evening twilight, and then they went in together and imparted the great news to Mrs. Dane Some days passed on. Lady Avon rather wondered that she did not hear more from her son, but supposed he had written direct to Mr. Baumgarten. Grace said nothing. The two lovers, over at Whitton Cottage, were busily planning out the future. One morning there was a startling announcement in the Z7zmes. As Lady Avon’s eyes fell upon it, she truly thought they must be playing her false ; that her sight was failing her. The living of Great Whitton was bestowed upon the Honourable and Reverend Wilfred Elliotsen, a personal friend of the Earl of Avon. Her ladyship called out for her daughter in commotion ; she sent her maid, Charity, to hasten her. Grace feared her mother was worse, and flew to the room with rapid steps. ‘What can be the meaning of this, Grace?” gasped the Countess. ‘‘Henry has not given the living to Mr. Baumgarten, after all; he has given it to young Elliotsen !” ‘¢Oh, indeed,” said Grace, carelessly. ‘‘ Harry can do as he likes, I suppose.” ‘No, he can’t, in such a case as this. At least he ought not. Once his promise was given to me, it should have been kept. I can- not understand his going from it. Itis not like him.” ‘Well, mamma, I don’t see that it matters to us, whichever way it may be.” “But it does matter. I don’t want a simpering young fellow like Wilfred Elliotsen down here, and whose wife goes in for rank Puseyism besides. She has only been waiting for his appointment to a church, report says, to make him play all kinds of antics in it; she leads him by the nose.” Grace laughed. ‘It is no laughing matter,” reproved her mother, ‘‘ for me or Mr. Baumgarten. I shall be ashamed to look him in the face. And he had begun to lay out plans for his marriage with Miss Dane and their life at Great Whitton !” ‘How do you know that ?” asked Grace, quickly. “Mrs. Brice told me so when she was here yesterday,” replied Lady Avon. She knew from the Danes that Ryle Baumgarten was to have Great Whitton and to marry Edith. Why Henry should be so changeable I cannot imagine.” CORnNIECLOOKS.E© mi;