The Argosy — page 301: what you’re looking at

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

‘- 280 Sandstone Torr. “And our opinion is that Frank did not die at all; at Dale's, or else- where. Some of us think he is alive still, and—now don’t you drop down in a heap.” “Please go on,” she breathed, turning whiter than her own cap. **T—-shall not drop down.” “We have veason to think it, Mrs. Frank. To think that he is alive, and well, and as sane in mind as you'd wish him to be. We believe it, ma’am ; we all but know it.” She let her head fall back in the chair. ‘“ You, I feel sure, would not tell me this unless you had good grounds for it, Mr. Dufiham. Oh, if it may but beso! But—then—what of those cries that we heard ?” she added, recollecting them. ‘I am sure they were his.” ‘Very likely. Stephen may have had him shut up in the tower, and Frank cried out to let the world know he was there. Oh, I daresay that was it. I should not wonder, Mrs. Frank, but your husband may be here to-day.” She rose from her seat, face lightening, hands trembling, eyes gazing. She had caught sight through the window of a small knot of people approaching the house door, and she recognized the cut of Frank’s fair Saxon face amid them, and the trim of his golden hair... Duffham knew no more till she was in F rank’s arms, sobbing and crying. Ring! knock! shake! Shake! knock! ring! It was at the front door of the Torr, and old Jones was doing it. He had gone there to apprehend Stephen Radcliffe, a whole posse of us at his tail—where we had no business to be—and the handcuffs sticking out of his side- pocket. By the afternoon of the day just told of, the parish was up in arms. Had Frank Radcliffe really risen from the dead, it could scarcely have caused more commotion. David Skate, for one, was frightened nearly out of his senses. Getting in from Alcester market, Sally accosted him, as he was crossing the yard, turning round from the pump to do it, where she was washing the summer cabbage for dinner. ‘The master be in there, sir.” ‘What master?” asked David, halting on the way. ‘f Why the master hisself, Mr. Frank, He be come back again.” To hear that a dead man has “ come back ” again and is then in the house you are about to enter, would astonish most of us. David Skate stared at Sally, as if he thought she had been making free with the cider barrel. At that moment, Frank appeared at the door, greeting David with a smile of welcome. The sun shone on his face, making it look pale, and David verily and truly believed he saw Frank’s ghost. With a shout anda cry, and cheeks all turned to a sickly tremor, he backed behind the pump and behind Sally. Sally, all on the broad grin, enjoyed it. 7 GEomichbooks.co