The Argosy — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

“Boy's Love” and ‘“‘Old Man.” 57 the result of a recent argument about modern warfare and politics between Colonel Grantham and his eldest daughter, during which poor “Swanny” had sat dumb and acutely conscious of ignorance ; little guessing that the arguments which Rose adduced so cleverly were not the outcome of the “awful stiff reading” with which he credited her, but of similar conversations held years ago with Chris- topher Horton. “Swanny ” was lost ina maze of pleasant conjecture when his hostess gave the signal to retire, thereby frustrating Captain Thomp- son’s generous intention of transferring all that were left of the chocolate bonbons to Blanche’s pocket as soon as Aunt Charlotte’s attention, on his other side, should be diverted. Bostock jumped up to throw open the door, with an especial grace and suppressed homage which he had practised, for Violet’s subjugation, on his bedroom door in barracks ; and the dinner came to an end. “You might have the coffee put in the garden, my dear,” cried Colonel Grantham after Rose. ‘I must go down and see Seaham for ten minutes at the club by-and-bye, but I shan’t be gone half-an- hour. So don’t finish it. I may bring him up with me, and then we can have a rubber.” The young men were all sufficiently at home to dispense with their host, and did not keep him long over the wine after this announce- ment. Each had his own object to further by rejoining the ladies ; and the six young people paired off, very much as they had done at dinner, in the long sloping garden, leaving Aunt Charlotte in the verandah with an interminable mess of red knitting, to meditate, perhaps, on the possible advent of Dr. Seaham, an old comrade of the Colonel’s. Was it possible, Lord Alfred was asking himself, as he walked by Rose Grantham’s side, that this wonderful, adorable creature was at last within his reach; that the longed-for opportunity was before him, and that he had only to speak? He felt his hands grow cold and his face grow hot at the bare idea, and he plucked nervously at the shrubs as they brushed against him. Far away—for the garden wound and sloped considerably for the grounds of a villa—he could hear the voices of the others. ‘ Play!” and “ Love All!” sounded derisively in his ears like cries from some other world; and had an authoritative voice at that moment announced to him that he was neither the Duke of Poolborough’s son, nor an officer in Her Majesty’s —th Regiment, he would have mildly acquiesced in both statements. He and Rose were stationary by this time at the end of the long nut-walk which looks across the bay. Rose was very pale, and her hands were tightly twisted together ; but when Lord Alfred, with a desperate courage, stood still in front of her and looked in her face for the first time, she gave him an encouraging smile. Her courage. for the great resolve was unshaken. COMIC OOO SS (C(O)