The Argosy — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

24 Fathful unto Death. I felt my face burning. ‘Did you not know,” I murmured, “that I am going to marry Mr. Payne?” “ But are you going to marry him ?—is he going to marry you? I do not think it looks like it,” he said. ‘You knew of it, then?” ‘*T know what your brother has told me: that you weve engaged to him. But surely you cannot allow yourself to be so still?” What with one thing or another—the home truth in these words, and the mortification it brought, and my shyness just now altogether, which told upon me, I burst into tears. David Malcolm took my hand, and spoke to me soothingly. ““T have been too hasty,” he continued; “I should have had patience and waited. My dear—for indeed you will ever be dear to me—we will defer ” “But indeed I am not able to marry you, now or ever,” I inter- rupted—and I had half a mind to tell him of the oath which I had taken to be faithful to Lionel Payne, whatever might betide, until death. “JI thank you very truly for your kindness to me, Mr. Malcolm, and for what you have said; but I can never marry you.” ‘“We shall see,” he cheerfully concluded, with the sunny smile in his eyes and on his ips. We did not speak of this offer, either he or I. It remained a secret between us. One day Aunt Di, in her old-world, straightforward way, took Eva Bellair to task. ‘‘ What do you mean by monopolising Mr. Payne whenever he is here?” she asked. ‘“ It is unseemly.” ‘Unseemly ?” repeated Eva, jestingly. ‘Oh, Miss Di!” “You know that he is shortly to marry Grace ?” ‘Oh, he only laughs and talks a bit with me,” said Eva. ‘“ There’s no harm in that, Miss Dinah—they are not married yet.” We had some intimate friends, the Bettingtons, living in a pretty house, Danvers Cottage, at the other end of Pressgate. They were, like many other people, much taken with Eva, and she was invited to stay at their house. ‘¢ And that will terminate your visit to us, Miss Bellair,” said Aunt Di, straightforwardly. ‘‘ Your own people will, of course, be wanting you back for Christmas.” It was a bitter November day, the day Eva went to the Bet- tingtons, with December near at hand. ‘‘I shall have Lionel to myself now,” ran my thought; which was all the regret I threw after her. But there is an old saying which tells you not to reckon without your host. I had reckoned without Lionel. For one evening that he passed with us, he spent five or six at Danvers Cottage. Some star in the actress line came to Pressgate, and there was a grand performance given in the theatre. ‘Tom took a box for us. Chancing to meet Lionel Payne the same morning, he told him COMICMOOOKS Conn