The Argosy — page 370: what you’re looking at

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

ee ee ee ee Mn meet ere tre ee 352 The Missing Rubies. *‘Oh, that will not do. She ought to be told, of course.” “Then she will give us no rest till the day comes,” sighed Jane, dismally. “Well, we will see how she is this morning,” said Dorothy, after a pause. ‘If she has one of her headaches it may be ‘best, perhaps, to put off telling her for a little while. Here comes Olga; not a word in her hearing! I am going to ring for prayers.” The four maid-servants came in, and seated themselves demurely in a row at the end of the long room. Olga entered, and stationed herself next to Jane. Miss Earle opened her book, and then glanced expectantly towards the door. But Caroline did not appear. Then Aunt Dorothy began to drone through the prayers, not without making several most unwonted blunders, which set poor Jane a-trembling on her knees and astonished Olga. The bees were droning, too, outside the window ; the doves had fluttered softly down to the terrace, and were cooing an accompaniment to the old lady’s monotonous voice. Even the religious exercises at Meadow House were of a drowsy kind. The Earles took care of their souls in a placid, decorous fashion that never changed with the changes of the times. There was a soft rustle as they all rose from their knees. Olga approached Miss Earle, and saluted her waxen cheek with the usual morning kiss. ‘Mamma is not well this morning, Aunt Dorothy,” she said. “Will you kindly send her breakfast upstairs? She really is not able to come down yet.” ““T thought she looked as if she were going to have a headache last night,” observed Jane, trying to repress an unsisterly thrill of joy. “‘ Her eyes were so heavy. Did you not notice them, Dorothy ?” “TI don’t think I did,” Miss Earle replied. ‘ We will send up the tray at once. If your mother has many more of these attacks, Olga, I shall advise her to consult Doctor Bendall” ‘She ought to see him,” answered Olga rather carelessly. ‘ Aunt Jane, I wish you would take me with you to Fairbridge this morning.” “No, Olga,” Dorothy interposed. ‘You have neglected your piano lately. Spend an hour in practising. And then there are your other studies.” Miss Gradizoff’s backwardness in acquiring accomplishments was a trouble to her aunts. They were fond of their niece, but she was more stupid and less good-looking than she ought to have been. From the Count, her father, she had inherited a Tartar cast of feature which the Earles could not admire. They were rather proud of their own beautiful old chiselled noses and dove-like eyes ; and Olga was not like them in the least. It was a pity, as they used to say to each other. The girl went off obediently to her tasks, without showing any temper. Left to themselves, the sisters exchanged a meaning glance. Dorothy stood, resting one thin white hand on the back of a chair. comicbooks.com