The Argosy — page 222: what you’re looking at

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

164 The Mystery af Allan Grale. shall never know, except by some chance, like to-night’s. I have more right to know than anyone else has: is he not my son?” Her husband made a little, deprecating shrug. Perhaps he, better than anybody else, could understand the agony of despair which was giving her this novel courage. ‘I did not tell you everything at first, Polly,” he said, in his kindlier manner, ‘ because I expected we should hear something of Allan soon enough, and I wanted to spare you what I thought would be only a few days of needless anxiety. In that case, if Allan had come to his right mind, he himself would have thanked me for my silence. I would have told you all had I known how the uncertainty was to be prolonged.” ‘‘ ¥ know there’s nothing but the worst to hear,” sobbed Mrs. Grale. ‘Ss Why should my sister Marget be always haunted by those dreams ?— up to this very hour!—and Alny is always in them with a white, despairing face !” ‘“‘ Anyway, we must try and see what we can find out now,” spoke her husband. “I think Edgar Vivian could tell something—and I shall at once goto him. Dr. Palmer will go with me.” Mrs. Grale started forward. ‘Did Allan meet him that night at the Black Pool?” she cried. “There was the note, you remember, ‘that we found in Allan’s room. Didn't I say the Vivians were sure to be in it? Women are a vast deal sharper than men, if only men would not put them on false scents. Richard,” she continued, with sudden calmness, after a pause, her tone entirely changing, ‘can the two young ‘men have quarrelled, and ” She would not speak the concluding words. Dr. Palmer felt a chill run over him. ‘Still there’s that box,” she mused, rallying a little. ‘‘ Allan must have sent it to Corrabuin to wait for him after he left home.” “No, no,” said Mr. Grale. ‘“ Edgar Vivian sent that box. He ‘must have been taking charge of it for Allan.” Mrs. Grale looked from one to the other. She did not understand. ‘IT suppose he must have had a letter from Allan asking him to send the box on to Scotland,” explained Mr. Grale. “I have never had any doubt of that, Mary.” .“ Have you seen the letter, Richard?” she asked, her tone lov, shrinking, terrible. It was hard to believe it came from genial, easy- going Mrs. Grale. ‘Not yet,” answered her husband, almost reluctantly. ‘And you never will!” she replied with energy. ‘“ Don’t you see how it is? Edgar Vivian wanted to get rid of the box some- . how—after the quarrel—and the—the 7 What awful word would she have spoken, had not something in Dr. Palmer’s face checked her? It was a look of horror, startled horror; but in a moment it was gone. ‘*T expect we shall see that letter to-night, Mrs. Grale, and prob- ably we shall get much more than mere negative news. I cannot COMIC OoOOkKS.con