The Argosy — page 324: what you’re looking at

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

“ Glittering Gold.” 303 to endure the absence of those same ledgers with the most stoical and amazing calmness. Muss Nellie he had in the meantime dis- covered was a very remarkable young lady. Her ready fund of bright conversation, her unfailing good-humour, and her numberless dainty devices for contriving comfort out of discomfort, and amusement out of dreariness itself, all united to win his admiration. But above all, Mr. Etheridge was struck with her keen and rapid insight into his own idiosyncrasies. Never before had he realised how much that was original and interesting there lay concealed beneath the crust of his acquired silence and reserve. How came this young and in- experienced girl to understand his character better than he had ever before understood it himself? ‘The only answer he could find to this question was the fact that Miss Nellie Branscombe was a very remarkable girl indeed ! Et: “HAVE you heard the news, Olive? Mr. Etheridge says that a portion of the path down to Leukerbad has been completely de- stroyed by the storm.” Olive looked up from her drawing with a troubled brow. “"That means, I suppose, that we must stay here till it is re- paired.” ‘“Unless you prefer to go all the way back to Spiez again. But they say the path will be ready by ‘Thursday ; the peasants are at work on it already.” ‘‘ Another two days to wait here! I am very sorry, Nellie; the sooner we leave here the better for all of us.” Just then Mr. Etheridge entered the only sitting-room the little party possessed. “So we are to be prisoners here for yet another day or two, Miss Branscombe,” he remarked in no very dismayed accents. ‘T am very sorry to hear it,” said Olive abruptly. A somewhat awkward pause followed. It was broken presently by her sister, who had been inspecting the weather from the window. “Well, at any rate, the rain has stopped for a few munutes. Won’t you come out with me, Mr. Etheridge, and see if we can find that edelweiss they said grew so near the house ?” Robert accepted the invitation with marked alacrity. “I will come too,” said Olive, as she gathered together her paint- ing paraphernalia. “How can you be so foolish, Olive? You who take cold so easily from wet feet! Now / could sit under a waterfall all day without fear of even a sneeze afterwards.” "The fresh air will do me good.” Olive’s manner was so quietly determined that no further opposition could with decency be offered. “That girl follows her sister about like some suspicious old COMICoOoOlKS.E© im