The Argosy — page 279: what you’re looking at

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

250 Mrs. Raven's Temptation. However, he had scarcely passed out of the room, before Mrs. Raven stood, with her book in her hand, and spoke to Evelyn. ‘I feel singularly tired and faint this afternoon. You will not think me inhospitable if I retire to rest fora while? I am not often thus.” “Dear Mrs. Raven!” cried Evelyn, ‘I am here to relieve you from burdens—not to add another!” She had caught the trick of proud humility from many a better soul among her aunt’s guests. Something like a tear glistened in the widow’s pale eyes. ‘‘ You are a good girl,” she said. ‘‘ You will find books—and please call the servants to show you anything or tell you anything you wish.” And as she passed out of the room, she paused before Evelyn and laid her cold thin fingers over the girl’s warm hand, and folded them so for a moment. ““T’m afraid it won’t be lively here,” reflected Evelyn. ‘I don’t wonder Mr. Frank made his escape. But it is easier to bear with tears and sentimentalities for a good salary than out of mere family affection! J’ll try to put up with it—until I’ve saved some money, at any rate.” The good Vicar was half sorry to have curtailed his visit. Evelyn’s face had so “bothered” him, that he would fain have watched it longer, to see whether any fresh or varying expression might aid him in the will-o’-the-wisp memories which started from the past only to elude his grasp. CHAPTER XVI. THE STRANGER: IN THE TRAIN. “YT THINK I’m getting home-sick,” Philip Connell announced to Frank, one morning. ‘‘ What do you say if we both take a run down to Coltburn, and see my old folks and the girls ?” Frank looked up from his coffee, but said nothing. ‘*Next week will be Michaelmas,” continued Philip. ‘It looks well to go out of town at the regulation holiday times. Seems to people as if one was in the swim, though the fact is that ’m generally busier in holiday times than at any other season.” ‘* How does that come about?” asked Frank, listlessly. ‘Why, don’t you see? When the real successful workers are glad to turn their backs, that’s the very time when a poor devil like me gets achance. I did get a brief once, Frank ; though you may not believe it. It came in on the Saturday after Good Friday, sent in by a miserly old solicitor who went to his office ‘ for his letters’ every day out of the three hundred and sixty-five.” “Hope you got a smart fee with it!” ‘Fair enough. They will be awfully glad to see you at home, old boy,” added Philip, with a change of tone. ‘We never invited you to Coltburn, Frank ; my people and yours were estranged, you see; CONNIE OO KS, COR