The Argosy — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

The Village Blacksmith. : 23 ‘‘ Thank you,” he said, when she finished. ‘‘God bless you and him. And when you see him tell him this:” and as he spoke, he drew Vera to him and kissed her forehead. ‘The next minute he was gone, and Vera ran home and shut herself in her room, and Mrs. Ryot-Tempest’s sick woman had no visitors that day. This was on the Monday before Easter; and the next day—for Vera always rode on a Tuesday—Mark brought her mare and Lion round as usual. She knew Mr. Hastings would not ride with her ; but not caring to bring on the explanation his absence would cause, she said nothing to anyone, but started alone. This was her usual custom to save him from riding up the steep hill to the Rectory, so it occasioned no remark. As she had anticipated, there was no sign ot Mr. Hastings when she reached their trysting place; and with a sigh, in which regret and relief were mingled, she rode off alone, Lion bark- ing joyously around her in a series of triumphant barks, as though challenging poor suffering humanity to rival his happiness in the pro- voking way dogs have when their spirits are higher than their masters’, They passed the curate’s house, but there was no sign of him to be seen, for the simple reason that by this time he was miles away from Woodford. Shortly after Vera had left the Rectory, the new Archdeacon received a letter which almost caused the little hair he possessed to stand on end. It was from Mr. Hastings, saying that circumstances, which he need not enter into, rendered it impossible for him to remain another day in Woodford. So, deeply as he regretted putting his Rector to such inconvenience, he was obliged to leave at once. He did so with the less reluctance since his health had given way and he was quite unequal to doing any duty. The Archdeacon-elect looked at the list of services his wife had insisted on having that week; several of which he had never even heard of and was quite incompetent to perform ; and then, trembling with various emotions, he went to lay the matter before the wife of his bosom. ‘Tt is very mysterious; Hastings is such a good fellow. I can’t understand his leaving me in the lurch like this unless, as I fear, he is about to join the Roman Catholic Church,” said the Archdeacon, as his wife finished reading the letter. ‘Mysterious, indeed! Where is the mystery, I should like to know? Why, a child could see it is Vera who has left him in the lurch, not he you, After encouraging him all these months, she has refused him. ‘That is the explanation of your mystery,” said Mrs. Ryot-Tempest angrily. | ‘Vera refused him! My dear, are you not arriving at a somewhat hasty conclusion? Does this letter warrant such an explanation ?” ‘There is no other. Not even you could have failed to notice his devotion to her, nor her apparent acceptance of his suit. May I ask what you intend to do, Archdeacon ?” conniclooolkks (S@) mn