The Argosy — page 276: what you’re looking at

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

The Mysteries of Heron Dyke. 257 Ah, why? Philip knew he was not honest in asking it. Suddenly there arose a sound behind him, as of the quick patter of feet. Before Philip had time to interfere, before he well knew what had happened, a female figure, scantily clad, and with hair flying to the winds, had sprung on one of the stone seats, and thence on to the parapet. For one brief instant she stood thus, dimly outlined against the starlit sky; then, with hands clasped above her head, and a low, wild cry, she sprang headlong to her death. A little crowd gathered, as if by magic, where there had seemed to be scarcely anyone a minute before. Faint at heart, dizzy with the sudden horror of the thing, Philip Cleeve fell back from the rest. What were his little troubles compared with those which must have driven that poor desperate creature to destruction? The black, sullen river had suddenly become hateful to him, and he made haste to leave it far behind. CHAPTER XXX. COUNSEL TAKEN WITH MR. MEATH. ANxIoUS revelations, were those, which Ella Winter had to pour. into the ears of her lover! For he was by her side now, not to leave. her for long together again. The cloud, which during the last few months had been lowering over her life, was lightened at last; the burdens which had been growing too heavy for her to bear, were lifted now upon shoulders stronger and more able to sustain them. Suspense and distress lay around still; but, compared with what had been, she walked in sunshine, gladness in her eyes and in her heart, and Love’s sweet whispers in her ears. : Edward Conroy took up his quarters at the hotel in Nullington, whence he walked over frequently to Heron Dyke. Mrs. Toynbee, back at the Hall now, was not slow to perceive the state of affairs. She wrote to her friend and patroness, Lady Dimsdale, that she was. afraid she should have to look out for another home before long: for, unless she was much mistaken, Miss Winter was about to marry. The gentleman, she was good enough to say, was a very pleasant, nice-mannered person, named Conroy ; but it seemed to her a great pity that Miss Conroy had not chosen someone more nearly her equal in the social scale. The weather was mild and open for the time of year, and Conroy’ and Ella were much out of doors. During these rambles the con- versation turned upon the past affairs—and many a consultation took place as to what could be done to bring all that was dark to light. There was so much of it—taken as a whole, So many points that presented their own difficulties. The doubt as to whether Ella was the legal inheritor of Heron Dyke; the disappearance of Katherine Keen, and the superstition that arose out of it; the Vee maxX, - S CORNICE LO© cS (©) an