The Argosy — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

94 The Story of Charles Strange. strengthen her,’ says Close. ‘She don’t want stimilinks’ says I; ‘she'll get better without ’em ;’ for she was a taking of ’em then in secret, though he didn’t know it. ‘Mrs. Brightman must take stimilinks,’ says he to master. ‘Whatever you thinks necessary,’ returns master—though if he hadn’t begun to suspect then, it’s odd to me. And my missis was not backward to take Close’s stimilinks, | and she took her own as well; and that I look upon as the true foundation of it all; it might never have grown into a habit but for that; and since then matters have been going from bad to worse. It’s a dangerous plan for doctors to order stimilinks to weak people,” added Hatch reflectively ; ‘‘evil comes of it sometimes.” I had heard that opinion before; more than once. I had heard Mr. Brightman express it to a client, who was recovering from an ill- ness. Was he thinking of his wife? ‘And for the last six months or so my missis has been getting almost beyond control,” resumed Hatch ; “one could hardly keep her within bounds. Meand master tried everything. We got Miss Annabel out of the way, not letting her come home but for two or three days at a time, and them days—my patience! if I hadn’t to watch missis like a cat! She didn’t wish to exceed in the daytime when Miss Annabel was here, though she would at night; but you know, sir, these poor creatures can’t keep their resolves ; and if she once got a glass early, then all her prudence went to the winds. I did my best ; master did his best ; and she’d listen, and be reasonable, and say she’d touch nothing. But upon the least temptation she’d give way. My belief is, she couldn’t help it ; when it comes to this stage it’s just a disease. A disease, Mr. Charles, like the measles or the yellow jaundice, and they can’t put it from ’em if they would.” rue. ‘On the Thursday night, it was the Thursday before the master died there was a quarrel,” Hatch went on. ‘‘ Mrs. Brightman was not fit to appear at the dinner-table, and her dinner was sent up to her room, and master came upstairs afterwards, and they had words. Master said he should send Miss Annabel to Hastings in the morning and keep her there, for it would be impossible to hide matters from her longer if she stayed at home. Mrs. Brightman, who was not very bad, resented that, and called him harsh names: generally speaking she was as humble as could be, knowing herself in the wrong and feeling ashamed of it. ‘They parted in anger. Master was as good as his word; he sent Miss Annabel with Sarah down to Hastings on the Friday morning to Miss Brightman. In the evening when he came home to dinner, missis was again the worse for drink. But on the Saturday morning she was up betimes, afore the house- hold even, and had ordered the carriage, and went whirling off with me to the station to take the first train for Hastings. ‘I shall return on Monday and bring back Annabel,’ she said to master, when she was stepping into the carriage at the door, and he ran out to ask ECORNIELIOO KS, EO) m