The Argosy — page 235: what you’re looking at

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

220 Winnifred Dee. do not think it can be that. Perhaps you will see her? It is a sad thing for her to be dying there all alone.” Mrs. Sims looked after the Doctor as he passed onwards up the street. ‘‘ There’s not an atom of embarrassment about him,” she said to herself; “he cow/d not speak to me in this free, open way if what the Miss Downs say is true. I don’t believe it ; some strange mistake must exist, and Ill go and talk to Winnifred Dee. I always liked her.” Mrs. Sims found Winnifred very ill indeed ; shivering with the cold, agitated by the Doctor’s visit. Partly at the kind greeting, partly at the pleasure of seeing the Vicar’s wife again—for she had always befriended her—she burst into tears and sobs. It was nota moment for cross-questioning, especially on unpleasant topics, and Mrs. Sims left her, promising to go again the next day. She then paid a visit to Miss Jemima Raddle and to the Miss Downs, and was assured by those gentlewomen that any mistake in what they had known and seen and heard was simply impossible. The morning saw Mrs. Sims by Winnifred’s bedside: even in those few hours she seemed weaker. It was a somewhat difficult task that Mrs. Sims had to enter upon. She began by talking lovingly to the girl in soothing tones, so as to invite her confidence, and she then asked her to tell her what was upon her mind. Winnifred answered by relating how she had been shunned; she did not know why or wherefore ; answered with the tears rolling down her cheeks. ‘‘ Are you not conscious of having given cause of offence?” asked Mrs. Sims. ‘““T have not given any that I know of, ma’am,” sighed Winnifred. ““T lie awake, night after night, asking myself what it can be that I’ve done, and I can think of nothing. It is not, you see, as though one lady shunned me; it’s every one of them.” Mrs. Sims considered. How best could she put the questions she wished to put. ‘Do you recollect, Winnifred,” she began at last, “that, when Miss Jane Down came to you to pay her bill last autumn, you changed a ten-pound note for her, giving her back a five-pound note and some gold ?” ‘Yes, I remember it well,” said Winnifred ; “it is not often I have had to change a note of that value. Miss Jane was going to pay me in coin, and found that she had not brought out enough.” ‘Can you remember whence you had that five-pound note ?” ‘There was nothing wrong with it, was there?” quickly cried the sick girl—for thought is quick. ‘It was not a bad one, was it?” “No, no, child; the note was good. But I rather wish to trace back that note, for another reason. Where did you get it?” “From Mr. Probert,” replied Winnifred, readily. ‘‘He gave it me in payment for some books.” “Books!” repeated Mrs. Sims, looking at her in some doubt, “Five pounds for books ?” COMMICMOOO;KS, (EO)