The Argosy — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

Ee THE ARGoSV.) Anne LfTereford., 83 “7/" came from her ashy hps. ‘Are you going mad, Edwin Barley ?” ‘Selina, this is as surely the result of your work, as if you had actually drawn the trigger. I hope you are satisfied with it!” “How can you be so cruel?” she asked, her bosom heaving, her breath bursting from her in gasps. He had spoken to her in a low, calm tone—not an angry one. It changed to sqrrow now. “T thought harm would come of it; I have thought so these two - days ; not, however, such harm as this. You have been urging that fellow a little too much against this defenceless ward and relative of mine, Selina; but I could not have supposed he would carry it on to murder. Philip King would have died quite soon enough without that : he was following Reginald with galloping strides.” | ' Charlotte Delves returned with a tea-spoon and the brandy in a wine- glass. As 1s sure to be the case in an emergency, there had been an unavoidable delay. The spirit-stand was not in its place, and for a ‘minute or‘two she had been unable to find it. Mr. Edwin Barley took a teaspoonful out of it. His wife drew away. ‘‘Was it an accident, or—or—done deliberately?” inquired Charlotte Delves, as she stood there, holding the glass. “It was deliberate murder !” ‘“‘ Duff'said so.. But who did it?” “Tt is of no use, Charlotte,” was all the reply Mr. Barley made, as he gave her back the teaspoon. ‘“ He 1s quite dead!” Hasty footsteps were heard running along the avenue, and up the steps to the door. They proved to be those of Mr. Lowe, the surgeon from Hallam. : ‘*T was walking over to Smith’s to dinner, Mr. Edwin Barley, and met one of your labourers coming for me,” he exclaimed, in a loud tone, as he entered. ‘He said some accident had happened to young King.” ‘‘ Accident enough,” said Mr. Edwin Barley. “ Here he his.” For a few moments nothing more was said. Mr. Lowe was stooping over the table. ‘ T was trying to give him some brandy when you came in.” ‘‘ He'll never take brandy or anything else again,” was the reply of Mr. Lowe. ‘‘ He is dead.” “As I feared. Was as sure of it, in fact, as a non-professional man can well be. I believe that he died in the wood, a minute after the shot struck him.” ‘* How did it happen?” asked the surgeon. ‘‘ These young fellows are so careless !” * T’ll tell you all I know,” said Mr. Barley. “We had been out shoot- ing—he, I, and Heneage, with the two keepers. He and Heneage were not upon good terms; they were sour with each_gther as could be; had comicbooks.€o