The Argosy — page 339: what you’re looking at

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

318 A Guide from Dreamland. clothes, with a swallow-tailed coat, the ends of which touched his heels. On his head was an immense and entirely straight chimney-pot hat. But however ridiculous his attire might have been, Daisy thought she had never seen such a beautiful face before—except her mother’s, It would have been difficult to say in what the beauty consisted. Perhaps in the kind blue eyes which shone from underneath the thick white eyebrows ; or perhaps in the silky white hair which hung down on his shoulders ; or the long white beard which covered his breast ; or perhaps again it could be attributed to his rosy skin, which bore hardly a wrinkle in spite of his white hair and apparent old age. Daisy gazed in a bewildered manner at this strange personage, and at this he began to laugh softly, a laugh like the sound of a silver bell. ‘¢ Daisy,” he began, when his mirth had subsided, “ why were you crying just now?” ‘‘T was thinking of my mother, sir.” ‘“Ah, yes, she was a good woman; a good woman! You are not happy at your uncle’s ?” ‘“No,” answered Daisy truthfully, inwardly wondering how this little man knew so much about her, and especially how he had known her mother, and that she had never seen him. ‘Would you like to live with a good woman like your mother, in a handsome house P” “Ah, yes! but that will never be!” ‘“Come with me, Daisy,” said the little man imperiously, and the child rose obediently. Straight past the bridge he led her, down a broad handsome street, and then to the left, and then to the right, in and out, till Daisy was dazed and bewildered. At last they came into a broader and handsomer street than any they had been through before. Beautiful houses, with large bay windows, stood in solemn majesty there, and through the drawn blinds one could catch glimpses of splendid chandeliers and magnificent candelabras. Out of some of the houses issued the sounds of music; soft, dreamy waltzes and merry polkas ; and many a happy laugh floated out into the evening air. Grand carriages stood before some of the doors, and out of them stepped ladies in sweeping satins or soft velvet, their trailing skirts making a gentle rustle as they ascended the broad steps to the houses. All this Daisy saw as she passed, and would like to have stood and watched all the magnificence longer. But the little man only chuckled as he noted her longing, and said : ‘* There’s better still; there’s better still ! ” And so on they went, this strange pair, hand-in-hand, till they reached the end of the road. Before the corner house the mysterious friend stopped. It was a large handsome building. No music floated from its windows, but the blinds were not yet drawn, ECORNIEIOO KS, EO) m