The Argosy — page 375: what you’re looking at

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

The Missing Rubies. 357 will be a little scene—I think there’s something stagey about the whole business—and then it will be all over. Beatrice will get married, and exist only for her husband. She will always hate you a little, I think, but she will be so fully occupied with loving, that she won’t have time to hate anybody much.” ‘“*She is a fool,” remarked old Redburn, courteously. “T always thought so. But I think she is likely to be a happy fool. Don’t you ever feel that it would be wise to forget her?” *¢ A little ungrateful noodle,” he muttered, still fuming. ‘You have fifty times more sense than she has. And you have behaved very well to me, Alma—very well indeed.” ‘“T like to behave well to you,” responded Alma, sweetly. ‘Iam not the kind of woman, you see, to fall over head and ears in love with any young man. It is not in me to be rapturous and devoted, and all that sort of thing. I never was romantic when I was a girl. And so I have some feeling to bestow on my friends, because I don’t lavish it all on one person.” “IT wish you had been poor Ward’s daughter, instead of Beatrice t Upon my soul I do!” Alma was discreetly silent, but her heart was beating very fast. The garden seemed to be asleep in the summer sunshine. Nota living soul was to be seen, and only the song of birds filled up this momentous pause. “There’s a decent lawyer fellow at Fairtridge, isn’t there?” he asked, abruptly. “Oh, yes.” The tone was quite composed. “Our own lawyer, Mr. Graine, lives there.” “Well, I should like him to be sent for. And now, I think I’ve been sitting out here long enough. It’s turning chilly, I fancy. One can’t depend on this climate an hour. Where is Blake? Why the deuce does he always get out of the way when he’s wanted ?” “He isn’t far off. I will call him.” . Beatrice herself could scarcely have gone springing towards the house with a lighter step. Miss Lindrick’s eyes were so bright and her cheeks so flushed that the man-servant noticed the change in her He hurried across the lawn to his master, and she hastened indoors to her father. A few minutes later the Colonel, in his dog-cart, was spinning along the road to Fairbridge. Alma, standing at the window of her own room, watched him till the trees hid him from her sight, and then sank down into an easy chair to rest and think. ‘Tt will all be mine soon ; I am sure it will!” she mused. ‘ Dr. Bendall feels persuaded that he won’t last through the winter. If I am certain of his intentions, I shall think no more about the Barnicott match. It never was quite good enough.” She sat and dreamed about her future wealth, building 4ll(sorts| of comichooks.coin