The Argosy — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

16 The House of Halhwell. “ Frightened her!” ‘ Prophesying ill-luck to her papa to-day. You don’t know how sensitive she 1s.” “Not she,” answered Aunt Copp; “she is too sensible a girl to be sensitive. She has double the sense that most girls have.” ‘Ves, she has; but she is wonderfully sensitive with it. She has so much delicacy of feeling—so much imagination. I am sure, if you could lay your hand on her heart now, you would feel it going pit-a- pat at a great rate; and it will not cease till she sees her papa safe at home again.” Aunt Copp went to the dining-room door. ‘‘ Hester.” Hester came in. ‘‘ Who called me?” she asked. ‘What are you doing there, my dear ?” ““Oh, nothing, Aunt Copp.” “You are listening for the coach, Hester,” said her mother. The colour flushed into Hester’s cheeks. “It is sure not to be long now, mamma.” ‘What a ridiculous idea of yours, Hester, to be standing there!” cried Aunt Copp. ‘‘ As if you could hear the coach come up to the Wheatsheaf, all this way off.” “We do hear it, aunt, on a still night. And if the guard blows his horn, as he generally does, we can hear that in this room.” ‘Sit down, Hester,” said Mrs. Halliwell, ‘“‘and take your supper.” “Mamma, I cannot eat, thank you. Iam not hungry.” ‘Sit down and take your supper,” added Aunt Copp, peremptorily. “‘What’s the good of your fretting yourself to fiddlestrings over that coach? It will come in all nght. ‘This beef is excellent.” Hester sat down and tried to eat, but she could not: she was “not hungry.” This was just Hester: if anything troubled her she could never eat: outwardly silent, inwardly agitated. Mrs. Halliwell glanced at her, and then across the table at Aunt Copp. The latter was looking at Hester. ‘“ Leave it, leave it,” said Mrs. Halliwell. ‘‘I see you do not want it.” And Hester, with a sigh of relief, laid down her knife and fork. Mrs. Halliwell and her sister-in-law talked on cheerfully ; first one topic. was started, then another; ¢/ezr minds were evidently at rest. Aunt Copp seemed to have forgotten her sombre prognostications of the morning, and Mrs. Halliwell had never had any. The clock was striking ten when a footstep was heard outside, on the gravel. ‘Here he is!” triumphantly exclaimed Aunt Copp. “That is Alfred’s footstep,” dissented Hester. ‘‘ It is too light and quick for papa’s. How fast he is running! ” Alfred burst into the room. ‘“ Mother! Aunt Copp! they are saying that something is amiss with the Harkaway.” ‘What is amiss with it?” ‘“ No one seems to know. I only heard a word, and came on to tell you.” | CORNIELIOOLKKS (E(0) m