The Argosy — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

IO The Mystery of Allan Grale. matter to us, while she does her work well. She is a superior kind of person.” Mr. Grale thought he would take a look at this woman. Hearing that she was working in the disused nursery, or playroom, which was in handy proximity to the linen-closet, and, like it, was a wide, low- pitched room, scantily furnished, with wide, small paned windows, he went up to it. Beside the old-fashioned fire-place, in a low, comfor- table chair covered with coarse, red flannel, sat Miss West. Mr. Grale saw a neat-looking little woman, in a good merino gown with a small white edging at the throat and wrist, and her dark hair braided back from her face. She looked up when he entered but did not pause in her stitching. He made a pretext of wanting to look for something in a cupboard at the far end of the room, which really held nothing but stray numbers of old periodicals. Taking up one of these, he approached Miss West, remarking that the weather to-day was disagreeable. He understood she was a strangerin Dering. She must find the state of the roads very different from that of town causeways. “Yes, sir,” said Miss West, in her quiet, easy manner. “But I am used to country roads—lI have lived quite as much in the country as in town.” “And which do you like best ?” asked Mr. Grale. Miss West smiled. ‘Each has its advantages, sir,” she answered. ““And as one generally has a reason for being where one 1s at the time, one likes that best while there.” “An uncommonly sensible woman,” thought Mr. Grale. But there was something about her which made him feel uncomfortable, he could not possibly have told why. He would have liked to ques- tion her, to ask what her business was in Dering; but he felt that she was quite capable of replying in the most naively respectful manner, yet telling him nothing. He went downstairs thinking. ‘Can it be——-?” But the mental question was interrupted by his meeting Susan, the parlour-maid, taking up, by her mistress’s orders, a glass of wine to the seamstress. “So you have had the master in here !” exclaimed Susan, as she cleared a place for the wine-glass amidst the litter of the sewing table. ‘* Yes,” said Miss West, ‘and a pleasant-spoken gentleman I found him.” “‘ Ah, he’s not always so,” said Susan—‘“as many a one could tell you. He keeps people in subjection, he does—ask his clerks that. It’s said, you know, that it was nothing but his quarrelling drove poor Mr. Allan away.” Miss West looked up. ‘‘ Was it?” she asked. “ / think so,” said Susan, who held Miss West in especial favour, because she lodged at Mrs. Massey’s, and Mrs. Massey’s son was Susan’s young man. ‘“ The mistress and Miss Mary Anne believed COMIC OOlKS.CO