The Argosy — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

Q2 Mrs. Raven's Temptation, Mr. Cran walked into the outer room to await him. He did not have to wait long—‘‘our man,” who looked like a quiet, simple country shopman, came in. ‘“'Train off—and party did not go# was his brief report. Mr. Cran put on his hat. ‘I am going to Daylight Villa myself, Jones,” said he. ‘‘ There is more in all this than meets the eye.” And as Frank hastened to Mr. Connell’s house, among his many crowning thoughts, there cropped up the quaint reflection that until this interview with the detectives, he had never realised that silent listening might be elevated into one of the fine arts. CHA? TE. <a THE BLUE-RIMMED JAR. WHEN Frank Raven reached the house, it was the younger ser- vant, Julia, who admitted him. Her eyes were still red after the scolding Minton had administered to her in the retirement of the kitchen, and she answered Frank’s questions in the subdued tone of one who only hopes not to be found fault with. ‘‘ Mr. Philip was out,” she said, ‘‘and so was Miss Louisa.” Their papa had taken them with him to drive to the house of a gentleman in the country, and were not expected back until the evening. “How is Mrs. Raven, now?” questioned Frank. ‘‘No better, sir,” answered the girl; ‘‘at least Minton thinks so. The mistress has been with her nearly all the morning, and so has © Miss Agate. She has quite set her mind on going back to Ravens- court to-morrow, it’s said, and Miss Agate is in a great state about her.” | Frank stood in the hall, bewildered. What was he to do next? He would like to make his search in the drawing-room at once, and he had wanted Philip to be with him, not caring to make it alone. He turned towards the dining-room, expecting to find that apartment empty, for this was the hour when Miss Cleare and her pupils usually took their daily exercise. But he was mistaken. Seated in the large bow window, beside the big myrtle, on which Mrs. Con- nell prided herself, with a mass of white work, streaming from her knee to the floor all around her, was Alice Cleare. Children, and all else, seemed to be out. She raised her head as the door opened. Her face was smiling. When she saw it was Frank, the smile faded into a look of earnest interrogation, prepared to patiently go unanswered. He could see at once that the remarks he had made to her had not passed unheeded from her mind. “T have done what you advised us all not to do,” he said, with a sort of candid desperation. ‘I have been to see the witch—the Oriental Mystery.” ECOPMICLIOO KS, (E)