The Argosy — page 386: what you’re looking at

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

| | | The House of Halliwell. 363 myself young again. I have not been in the way of it much, Mr, Williams, since I settled in life; what with living in seaport towns, where one’s nose meets with nothing but tar and pitch, and going voyages with my husband, where one scents nothing but salt brine, and never sees a field for months. ‘There, Hester! ”’ Aunt Copp, with her great strong arms, had seized a whole hay- cock, and dashed it over Hester. ‘That was the commencement of the sport. ‘They laughed, and screamed, and smothered each other in hay, Mrs. Williams and Lucy being foremost in the fray. After two hours’ fun, they were leaving the field, tired, heated and thirsty, when Aunt Copp, who had rushed up to a haycock, some few of which were left intact near the entrance, intending to favour Hester and Lucy with a parting salute from behind, gave a loud scream, which caused them to look round. Well done, Aunt Copp! Instead of securing the mound of hay, her arms had entangled themselves round the neck of a gentleman, who had stretched himself to recline on the offside of it, and had fallen into a doze. “Good heavens above!” ejaculated Aunt Copp. “I beg your pardon, sir. I thought I was laying hold of nothing but the hay- cock.” “No offence, ma’am. I wish you’d put your arms there again. Ah, my dear regretted fellow-traveller, is it you! How do you find yourself by this time? I have been up and down the country ever since. I forgot, you must know, the name of the place where you stopped, so I thought I’d take all tHe stopping places of the mail, one by one, which I did, and came here in rotation this afternoon, intending to pay my respects to you. What two delightful ladies!” ‘They are my nieces,” returned Aunt Copp. ‘‘ Miss Halliwell and Miss Lucy Halliwell.” “And I am Captain Kerleton—if you will allow me to introduce myself—formerly serving with my regiment in India; but the duty did not agree with me, so I sold out. Would this little spot be a pleasant part of the country to stop in for a week or two, think you ?” | “Very,” cried Aunt Copp, impressively. ‘‘ And the Seaford Arms is an excellent inn.” "Then I’m off for it. Which is the road?” There,” she replied, pointing in the direction of the village, “about five minutes’ walk. But won’t you step in with us, and take acup of tea? It will refresh you this hot afternoon. Our house is close by. Girls,” she added, seizing a minute to whisper to them as they walked on, for the stranger eagerly accepted the invitation, “this is the gentleman I told you of, the one in the mail, you know, who wants a wife. So look out, Lucy.” | Lucy felt annoyed, and naturally. She was a most retiring-minded girl, and had a genuine horror of thrusting herself forward to attract ECOMMICOOOKS. EO im