The Argosy — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

The Mysteries of Fleron Dyke. 103 The light died out of Ella’s eyes, and her face saddened. But she complied with the request; not dwelling very minutely upon the particulars. The vicar and Maria listened to her in silence. ‘Tt is the most unaccountable thing I ever heard of,” cried the vicar impulsively when it was over. ‘‘ Locked up in her room and disappeared! Is there a trap-door in the floor ? ” Ella shook her head sadly. ‘‘ The waxed boards of the room are all sound and firm.” ‘* And she could not have come out of her room and got out of the house, you say?” “No. It was not possible. She had a bad headache, as I tell you, and I told her she had better go to bed; that was about nine o’clock. While she was folding up the child’s petticoat she had been sewing at, Aaron came into the room to say that Uncle Gilbert was asking forme. Katherine lighted both the bed candles, which were on a tray outside, and we left the room together. I ran into my own room and caught up my prayer-book, for sometimes my uncle lets me read the evening psalms to him. Katherine was going into her room as Iran out ; she wished me good-night, went in, and locked it.” ‘¢ Locked it!” exclaimed the vicar. ‘‘ A bad habit to sleep with the door locked. Suppose a fire broke out!” * T used to tell her so; but she said she could not feel safe with it unlocked. She and Susan were once frightened in the night when they were little girls, and had locked their door ever since. I went on down to Uncle Gilbert,” continued Ella. ‘* Aaron was then bolt- ing and barring the house-dcor—and, considering that he always carries away the key in his own pocket, you will readily see that poor Katherine had no chance of getting out by it.” ‘There was the back door,” said the vicar: who, to use his own words, could not see daylight in this story. ‘‘ Your great entrance door is, I know, kept barred and locked always.” “Yes. Aaron went straight to the back door from the front, fastened up that, and in like manner carried away the key. Believe me, dear Mr. Kettle, there was no chance that Katherine could go out of the house. And why should she wish to do so?” “Well, go on, child. You found the room empty yourself in the middle of the night—was it not so?” | ‘““Yes—and that was a strange thing; very strange,” replied Ella, musingly. ‘‘I went to bed as usual, and slept well; but at four o'clock in the morning I was suddenly awakened by hearing, as I thought, Uncle Gilbert calling me. I awoke in a fright, you must understand, and I don’t know why: I have thought since that I must have had some disagreeable dream, though I did not remember it. I sat up in bed to listen, not really knowing whether Uncle Gilbert had called me, or whether I had only dreamt it e “You could not hear your uncle calling all the way up in the north wing, Ella,” interrupted Miss Kettle. COMmMicaooks (CO) im