The Argosy — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

Court Netherleigh. 97 sad death—and she made your acquaintance there. She is Mary Lynn, my half-sister. My father died when I was a little lad, and my mother made a second marriage.” | Miss Upton was silent, apparently revolving matters in her mind. ‘Did your sister know that I was her mother’s early friend ?” she asked. “Oh no, I think not. She only spoke of you as a stranger—or, rather, as a friend of the Dalrymples. I never heard my mother speak of you at all—I do not suppose Mary has.” | “That young girl had her mother’s eyes,” suddenly cried Miss Upton, “just as you have. They seemed familiar to me; [I re- member that; but I wanted the clue, which this name ”—bending down to look at the bag—‘“has supplied. CC. Grubb? Christopher was your father’s name.” “Tt is mine also.” “ And Francis too ?” she quickly cried. “ And Francis too—Francis Charles Christopher.” It crossed his mind to wonder how she knew it was Francis, then remembered it must have been from the Acorns. Miss Upton had lifted her face and was looking at him. “Why did your mother name you Francis?” she asked, rather sharply. ‘““T was named Francis after my father’s only brother. He stood to me as godfather, and gave me his name—Francis Charles.” And left me his money also, Mr. Grubb might have added, but did not. “TI see,” nodded Miss Upton, apparently satisfied. ‘‘ You have > been letting Lord Acorn borrow no end of money of you on the strength of his coming into the Netherleigh estate,” she resumed, in her matter-of-fact, open way, that spoke so much of candour. Mr. Grubb hesitated, and his face slightly flushed. It did not seem right to enter upon Lord Acorn’s affairs with a stranger. But she seemed to know all about it, and was waiting for his answer. “Not on the Netherleigh estate,” he answered. ‘I have always told Lord Acorn that he ought not to make sure of that.” ‘You would be quite safe in lending it,” she nodded, a peculiar look of acuteness, which Mr. Grubb did not altogether fathom, on her, face, .§° Quite.” Some stir interrupted further conversation. The tinkering, as Miss Upton called it, had ceased, and the down line was at length ready for traffic. ‘‘ Where are my people, I wonder?” cried Miss Upton, rising and looking around. They came forward almost as she spoke—a man and a maid servant. ‘The former took up the box she had been sitting on, and Mr. Grubb gave her his arm to the train, and put her into the carriage. “This is the first time I have seen you, but I hope it will not be the last,” she said, retaining his hand in hers when she had shaken it. VOL. XXXI. H COMIC OOO SS (CO)