The Argosy — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

180 Mrs. Raven’s Temptation. Eldred. Well, Janet, in time there came another baby, and poor Salome died when it was born.” * Died !” ‘¢ And in two or three days afterwards, Squire Eldred was dead.” Janet Mackay nearly screamed. “Tt was said he was the worse for liquor: I don’t know if that’s true; but he was on horseback, and the horse grew restive and ran away and threw him. He was killed on the spot. And it happened on the very walk that he took so often in his life-time, for the horse was dashing madly across it, and he fell right in the path.” ‘What a dreadful thing !” “The little nephew, Henry, succeeded to all the property. His trustees allowed Mrs. Sloam, who had charge of the boy, Eldred, to retain the house, and paid her some money weekly. Whether they did it out of a feeling of justice, or whether Squire Eldred had ever said to his lawyer that he wished it done in case of ill happening to him, was not known. When Squire Henry came of age, he con- tinued to do the same thing—to the widow Sloam until her death, and then to the man Eldred—not liking, I take it, to root up old institutions. It is whispered now, though, that the new Squire intends to stop the weekly allowance and to turn the man from the cottage. Eldred Sloam is no credit to the place, but Z shouldn’t.” ‘What was it they meant about a red mark on the neck ?” ‘Squire Eldred had a large curious red mark on his neck, was born with it. Not but what the Squire was red all over; and he had the Raven red hair, and so had Squire Henry: and so has Eldred Sloam.” ‘¢ And the present master also,” said Janet. ‘The present master! The young master’s is reddish in a way, but his is no more like the real Raven hair than withered grass is like full-eared corn.” ‘What became of Salome Hale’s last baby ? ” ‘Tt was fetched away by some of poor Salome’s people and has never been heard of since. I daresay it’s«dead ; ’twas a little girl. Charity couldn’t take it, you see, being here at the Court, even if she would. ‘That past business just soured her for life, and has made her the cynical woman she is. ‘The Hales were superior people, you see, till this happened, above the run of common servants, and the disgrace told upon them. ‘There was another sister, I believe, but she didn’t live in these parts.” ‘Tt is a sad history,” was the comment of Janet Mackay. ‘‘ Charity liked the Squire who has just gone; it seems to me that she quite resents his death, if you can understand such a thing,” concluded Sims. ‘But she does not like Mr. Leonard: and there has never been any love lost between her and Mrs. Raven.” ‘And what became of the sister—the little lady from India?” ‘Miss Millicent Raven—oh, she grew up here with her brother. After Squire Eldred’s death the trustees got a lady to come here to Eomichookssco