The Argosy — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

86 One Christmas Eve. Kitty laughed merrily, as the Doctor intended she should. They were on the most friendly footing ere the Court was reached, ‘Tsay, Driver, that foolish fellow, William, has crossed to Beachley in a small boat with Fanny, and, I fear, can’t get back.” ‘“Wind’s against him,” said the Doctor, looking at the vane. “T’ll drive to Beachley, and see what’s the best thing to do.” He drove away, and Kitty ran upstairs to take off her hat. She climbed up into the old-fashioned window-seat, and looked after the dog-cart. Doctor Driver, turning the corner, looked up, and saw her, and waved his hat. Kitty nodded back, and leaned out of the window in a day-dream, the wind in her curls, her rosy cheeks glowing. An hour later, in came Fanny and William. ‘They were in the highest spirits, and laughed, making interminable small talk the order of the day. They had not been to Beachley at all, but had driven to Chepstow instead. “T hope Driver won’t go on the water after you,” said Ned. “It gets dark early, and he is too good a man to be drowned in a wild- goose chase.” A little thrill of horror came over Kitty at these words. She crept away to the window-seat, and looked across the fields to the Severn. A wind was blowing—the rough waters splashed over the banks ; soon the meads would be flooded. Would Doctor Driver trust himself on this treacherous river? Kitty shuddered with dread at the thought, and, heedless of the chill of the frosty air that entered freely through the leads of the lattice window, kept her place with frightened eyes that strove to pierce the gloom. William and Fanny, in the hall, kept up a perfect Babel of small-talk. Nora with Ned had walked to the village, to call on the new rector. Old Dinah came in to stir the parlour fire. ‘Oh, Dinah!” said Kitty. ‘Do you think the Doctor will go on the river ?” | “Sure to!” answered Dinah—who loved to contemplate the tragical. ‘There was a young man as I knowed up strit (street). Well, him was took just thicumtheer way. A’ went on the water and the bwoat it upset—and his corpses was picked up drowned dead at the ferry.” ‘Oh, Dinah, don’t, don’t!” cried Kitty in an agony of horror—a blind horror of the darkness which would come over her life if Dr. Driver should never reach home alive again. She cowered down in the window seat, cold, wretched and miserable, still with her face bent to the frosted fields beyond which, mayhap, the cruel Severn made havoc with human life. It grew dark—the river could no longer be seen—one by one the apple trees with their boughs laden with mistletoe were buried in the gloom. Kitty had no heart to move, her tired eyes in vain strove to pierce the darkness which covered the turbid waters beyond the meads. ECORNICLOOOL<S (EC) nm