The Dugdale Millions — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

THE FIRST STEP. 25 period of some domestic distress. The lady emerged from her brown study with a sudden question. ‘‘Is he in any trouble?’’ ‘*Who, your husband?’’ asked Dick. ‘“Yes?’’ most eagerly. ‘‘Not that I am aware of,’’ replied Dick. She was silent again for a few moments, her hand playing in a curious fluttering way from her lap to the side of her dress. Again she propelled a sudden question at him. ‘“Do you come to make trouble for him?’’ ‘“‘No. Certainly not.”’ Mrs. Stanton cast a look of deep incredulity upon him as she rose, begging to be excused, and crossed the wide hall, into a room directly opposite, and as she did so, Dick saw her draw something from her pocket which looked like a pack of playing cards. As Dick could see by looking into the mirror in the room, she seated herself at the table and began a hasty distribu- tion of the cards into small piles upon it, and then, picking up each pile, hastily ran them over in her hands, poring intently over them. Having run over each one of the piles, she gathered them together with the air and gesture of one who had arrived at a satis- factory conclusion, which had convinced her as to her course. She returned hastily, before Dick could Imagine what her action meant. ‘“‘Who is the woman?’’ she demanded, standing immediately in front of him. ‘‘The woman, madam?’’ asked Dick, thoroughly mystified. ‘‘I know of no woman.”’ ‘It isa heart woman,’’ she continued most posi- tively. ‘*‘There is no doubt about it. You cannot conceal it from me. I knew trouble was coming. I dreamed so last night. It is a woman with yellow hair and blue eyes. I saw it clearly in the cards,’’ Dick stared at her stupidly and began to believe Comicloo S C@ 5}