The Argosy — page 283: what you’re looking at

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

Edina. 267 Paul and Lady Trellasis are coming—you know them—and Mr. Raynor.” The curate, perhaps lacking courage to press his-refusal, stayed. In due time Sir Paul and his wife arrived ; and, as the clock was striking seven, Frank. Dressed. All this need not have been noticed, for in truth Mrs. Townley and her visitors have little to do with the story, but for something that occurred in the course of the evening. Mrs. Townley was on the music-stool, playing some scientific “‘ morceau” that was crushingly loud and seemed interminable, with Sir Paul at her elbow turning over for her, and Daisy on the other side. Lady Trellasis, a pretty young woman with black hair, sat talking with Mr. Backup on the sofa near the fire; and Frank stood just behind them, looking at photographs. In a moment, when he was least thinking of trouble, certain words spoken by the curate caught his ear. “Josiah Bell: that was his name. No; the particulars have never been discovered. He was found eventually, as of course you know, and buried in the churchyard at Trennach.” “The affair took great hold on my imagination,” observed Lady Trellasis. “I was staying at the Mount with papa and mamma at the time the man was lost. It was a story that seemed to be surrounded with romance, They spoke, I remember, of the daughter, saying she was so beautiful. Papa thought, I recollect, that the poor man must have fallen into some pit or other: and so it proved.” “Yes,” said Mr. Backup, “an unprotected pit, so deep as to have gained the appellation amid the miners of the Bottomless Shaft. The mystery of course consisted in how he got in.” ‘“‘ But why should that be a mystery? Did he not fall in?” “The fact is, that some superstition attaches to the place, and not a single miner, it was said, would have willingly approached it. Bell especially would not go near it: for in that respect he was a notably weak-minded man.” “Then how did he get in?” quickly asked Lady Trellasis. “There was a suspicion of foul play. That the man was thrown in.” . “ How very dreadful! Thrown in by whom?” “¢I cannot tell you. , A faint murmur arose later—as I was told by ” Mr, Pine—that some one in a superior walk of life was supposed to be implicated: some gentleman. The Rector tried to trace the report to its source, and to ascertain the name of the suspected man ; but ——” “ And did he?” interrupted the young lady, too eager to wait for the concluding words of Mr. Backup, who was a slow and hesitating speaker. ; “No, the Rector could get at nothing: but he says that/an un- comicbooks.com