The Argosy — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

128 “ Fohn Snuth, Fumor.” anyone. I will never forgive you if you do—it would &£2/7me! Let me go; leave me alone—quite alone, do you hear? Oh, go, go— there’s a good girl, go! Oh, what have I done—what have | done— what have I done?” And so, with dry, tearless eyes and tottering steps she passed on into the silence of her own little chamber. IV, “Johnny, love,” said Mrs. Smith tenderly to her son, “ what is the matter with you? Aren’t you well, or is it some trouble ? Come to me, my lad, and tell your old mother. I can’t bear to see you looking like that. ‘Tell me, dearie ; father and I will do anything we can to make it all right.” He went and knelt down beside her, AMA his arms round her substantial waist, and laying his head on her kind motherly bosom, just as if he were a boy again coming to the mother for comfort a consolation. “Yes, dear old mamsy,’ he said, ‘I am in great trouble, but no one can help me; I must bear it alone. I will tell you, mother, because I want to go away again—lI can’t stay here—and you ought to know the reason. You will make it all right with my father, I know. I’ve fallen in love, mother, fallen in love, like a goose, and been cruelly disappointed.” “You mean the doctor’s pretty daughter, don’t you, Johnny? Why, father and I were so pleased, we thought S 7 “Don’t speak of her, mother,” he broke in hoarsely. ‘I can’t bear it. She despises us—a proud, disdainful coquette! How can I tell you the truth? She thought I was Josselyn; it was the man of birth and family, the scholar, she cared for, not me, the draper’s son. She scorned the idea of being ‘ A/vs. Fohn Smith, ‘Funtor /? If you had only heard her say the words! So Iam going away. Don’t distress yourself, dear old mother, I shall soon get over it. You know the old song :— ‘If she be not fair for me What care I how fair she be 2?’ I am as much mistaken in her as she in me. Never fear that I am going to break my heart over.a creature who only existed in my own imagination. And I fancied her so sweet, so pretty! I knew she was proud, and that her dainty head was full of false ideas about men | and women and their. true worth, but I thought she loved me and that love would open her heart and make her see more clearly what is really lovable.” ‘““And, my dearie, my own lad, she does love you, I am sure of it. Ah !—I’ve seen the colour rush into her bonny face, and the light flash into her dark eyes, at the sound of your voice or your footstep. Gomilcbooks. co mn