The Argosy — page 368: what you’re looking at

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

350 The Missing Rubies. and looked down into the garden with thoughtful eyes. Two ring- doves, perched on the grey sun-dial, were pecking grain out of Olga’s. hand. A great mass of white roses took the first freshness of the morning light ; scarlet geraniums burned with a splendid glow in the shadows. Miss Earle loved the place better, perhaps, than she lovea anything else on earth—loved every inch of that velvet sward, every brick in that ivy-grown wall that guarded her paradise from the outer world. In winter or summer she delighted in the view which she saw from that ivy-window, but to-day she could not look upon it with an untroubled gaze. Her peace had been ruffled by a letter. Her conscience told her that this letter, which she was holding in her hand, ought to be a welcome thing. And she was glad, yes, she was honestly glad that her dead brother’s only son was doing well in the world, and was able to clear his name. But the story of the necklace was an old story now, and she had hoped that the matter was buried and forgotten. They had all done their best. Caroline’s loss had been made good by the two sisters and their brother Charles, It had been neither pleasant nor easy to part with the money, but they had acted as they thought right, and Caroline had been satisfied. Time had subdued the bitterness which the disappearance of the necklace had caused. And although the Countess sometimes referred a little sentimentally to her husband’s parting gift, she had ceased to bewail its loss. And now the old affair was to be raked up again. The calm of life would be broken into by a solemn family gathering. Family gatherings often mean family rows. The Countess Gradizoff was matchless in a family row, and always got the best of everybody. Dorothy Earle was inwardly convinced that Caroline would be very terrible on the coming occasion. * And I have got to tell Jane all about it,” she thought, sighing. ‘‘ And Jane is so nervous and excitable that this matter will make her really ill, She has not been quite herself since Miss Ward left the Lindricks in that extraordinary way. Dear me, it is all very bewildering and disagreeable !” The sun was shining into the pretty old dining-room, lighting up its walls of panelled oak, and glittering on the silver and glass on the breakfast-table. A bowl of freshly-gathered roses sent out their per- fume to greet Dorothy as she entered. Outside on the terrace was Jane, busy as usual with her beloved flowers. Dorothy settled her mob-cap, which was not in the least awry, cleared her voice with a preparatory “Hem,” and stepped slowly out of the open window to join her sister. Jane was lingering over her large myrtle bush in a quiet ecstasy. She was in charity with the whole world. All her plants were flourishing. She was happy, and quite absorbed, just then, in her simple life. Later on, perhaps, when they were all sitting in the old drawing- room, and the sweet dusk was creeping round them, she would feel comicbooks.com