The Argosy — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

50 * BOY’S LOVE” AND“ OLD* MAN. By G. B. STUART. i if \Apeae I say is,” remarked young Biggs of the —th to his crony, Bostock, ‘“‘ when a girl is going on for thirty, and everybody knows it in a place like this, it must be doosed awk- ward!” ‘But she can’t be anything like that,” said Bostock, who had only joined a short time before, and was not as well up in the ages of the Seamouth ladies as his friend. ‘‘ She may be five-and-twenty, which is hard lines enough for a handsome girl with little White and Blue taking the shine out of her wherever she goes ; but she can’t be more.” *« She’s hard on thirty, I tell you. Why, Old Mavor remembers her grown up when White and Blue were in short frocks, and I’ve heard Fowler and half-a-dozen other men rave about her ever so long ago. Poor old Red! the twins cut her out entirely. I wonder ”—reflectively and charitably—“‘she doesn’t emigrate or take to sick nursing or something.” «She won’t do that,” said Bostock sapiently, longing to have his innings, and yet withholding his information to give it double im- portance. ‘‘She won’t do that if Swanny means business, as I’m pretty sure he does. Here she comes, by Jove, down from the hill. And here’s Swanny coming across the market square just as if he hadn’t been hiding all the afternoon in Piles’s shop, pretending to choose a.new bridle and waiting to meet her promiscuous, as soon as ever she turned up. Now stay and see some fun !” Both young gentlemen flattened themselves against the club window in anticipation of a treat, in which they, as well as Lord Alfred Swan, were doomed to be disappointed. For Miss Rose Grantham (fami- liarly known as ‘‘ Red,” while her sisters, Blanche and Violet, rejoiced in the nicknames of “‘ White” and “ Blue,” a source of never failing amusement to the gallant —th), without pausing, or looking for more than a second in the young nobleman’s direction, gave a very small bow and continued swiftly on her way. Poor Lord Alfred stood stock still with outstretched hand, the other still grasping his lifted hat. Biggs and Bostock in the club window roared with laughter till the offensive sound was carried through the clear summer air to where their friend stood in the middle of the market square: who, becoming aware that his ruse and its discomfiture had been observed, crammed on his hat defiantly and dashed back into Piles’s shop. ‘By George, that was a joke! Never saw Swanny so at a loss in his life! Must go down to the tennis-ground and tell the fellows. ECOMICDOOKS. ECO