The Argosy — page 320: what you’re looking at

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

248 . The Mystery of Allan Grale. So they parted. But Dr. Palmer turned and turned again to see that Mr. Grale had not again changed his mind. No, the manufac- turer with his ominous burden went steadily forward. How bent and old he looked! How he had changed in the last day or two! In the distance he might have been taken for an aged labourer returning from a day’s toil. And, perhaps there was not one such in all England with a heart so heavy as his. The Doctor hurried to the Court, where he made his visit as short as possible. George Vivian was no worse; he was decidedly as well as could be expected, and felt no alarm. Nay, the most troublesome symptom about him was his anxiety for a speedy recovery. Though forbidden to speak in any tone above a whisper, he had distressed Maria by telling her that he must make arrangements for getting mountain air as soon as possible—nothing would do him good like mountain air. Maria, in agony, had besought him to remember that much movement or exertion was absolutely forbidden him, He had only smiled ; and to her dismay, had persisted in wmiting a letter ; which he charged her to see was put into the post-bag. “Jt was directed to Mrs. McOrist, at Ragan, Ross-shire,” said Maria, dropping a few tears as she disclosed this to Dr. Palmer. ‘That was the farm to which George took so great a fancy when he and Allan Grale visited it last Autumn. He has made up his mind that a long stay there would quite set him up. But it must be much colder there than here—and what a frightfully long journey it would be for one in his condition ! ” ‘Well, he cannot go yet,” observed Dr. Palmer. ‘We may safely leave it an open question, for the present. If he does go, later, you would have to accompany him. You need change and mountain air almost as much as he does,” *T don’t know what my poor Uncle would do without us,” sighed Maria. ‘“ The Court seems under a dreadful cloud just now!” she added, raising her pathetic eyes to the Doctor’s. He almost started. How true her last words were! Yet he felt she spoke them without any special meaning. How long would she remain in_ blessed ignorance of the dark doubts whispered about Edgar ?” ‘“There, there,” he said kindly, ‘I must not keep you longer out of your brothers room, or he may be attempting to arrange his chairs and tables by way of wholesome exercise. Don’t you oppose his whims and fancies when laying out his plans for the future, Miss Vivian : rather appear to fall in with them.” Dr. Palmer hastened back to the Black Pool. It was not twilight yet, but the sunshine was out of the atmosphere, leaving it cool and gray. Not a voice fell on the Doctor’s ear as he approached the Pool. Had the men really left their task, disappointed in their latest find, or unable to secure it until the morrow. He hurried on. No. They were still at their task. But they were no longer at work. They were gathered around something which lay on the ECONMCOOOKS.CO