The Argosy — page 302: what you’re looking at

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

The House of Halliwell. 281 The younger children went in a large covered waggon with the provisions ; the elder walked. As did all the visitors, a great number of them. They arrived there about twelve, amused themselves for an hour or two, and then had dinner. Afterwards they dispersed, some to one part of the grounds, some to another. Mrs. Zink took her station in a grotto, and went to sleep; Hester sat on the felled stump of a tree outside it, her memory wandering back to bygone years, years that for her never would return. Suddenly they were both startled: Mrs. Zink out of her sleep, and Hester out of her waking dreams, for Miss Zink came flying up in a state of excitement, darted into the grotto, sank down on the seat by her mother, and went into screaming hysterics. “What in the name of fortune is it?” uttered the alarmed Mrs. Zink. ‘‘ What has come to you, Matilda?” The young lady made no answer, but shrieked and kicked so violently, that Mrs. Zink seized her by the head, and Hester caught hold of her feet. “ Have you been stung by anything?” asked the wondering Mrs. Zink. ‘Ves, that’s it,” screamed Matilda. “Whereabouts P Was it a wasp?” “It was a man,” shrieked Matilda. “A man! Good patience, Matilda! Whatever can you mean? ‘A man and a sister,” persisted Miss Zink. ‘‘ Oh, the wicked- ness! oh, the treachery !” “Has Fanny done anything ?” “Fanny! I wish it had been. It is that sly, smooth Mabel. I told you not to let her come. I went into that opening by the beeches, and there ” (shriek !) ‘I caught them together, making love.” (Shriek, shriek !). ‘‘ He was kissing her ” (shriek, shriek, shriek !) “he was, mother, as true as we are here!” (Shriek, shriek, shriek, shriek !) ‘Tl lock Mabel up, my dear, as soon as we get her home. Who was kissing her? Mr. Spriggs?” “Not ¢dat stupid Simon! he never kisses anybody. It was Mr. Halliwell. Somebody ought to write to his bishop.” Mrs. Zink screamed in echo of her daughter, and Hester was so petrified that she let go Miss Zink’s feet. ‘““T never heard of anything so demoralising as for a parson to kiss,” sobbed Miss Matilda. ‘I wonder where he learnt it? Not in the Commandments. He had got his arm round her, and his face glued to hers. Emma Farley and Augusta Dove saw it as well. Of course he will never attempt to face us from the pulpit again! He must buy a mask.” “TI don’t believe it,” cried Mrs. Zink, who had been collecting her scattered senses. ‘‘ You must have seen double, Matilda.” “We saw single enough,” replied the young lady, roughly. ‘‘ After everything we have done for him! run and reved ourselves to death VOL. XLIXx, S GomiilGaooks