The Argosy — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

98 Mrs. Raven's Temptation. Philip nodded. ‘Ves, I think I ought to. For one thing, there is this packet. I do not wish to open it, except in Mr. Connell’s presence. _ You seem to be testing its weight, Philip, as though you thought it contained gold.” ‘‘] must say it’s heavy enough for it.” rank sauntered to the window, and looked out. As he stood so, his back to Philip, he ran on, in a careless tone: ‘I ought to tell you also that I mentioned the matter to Miss Cleare—that I had been to see the Oriental Mystery. You were not in, you see, Philip, and she was ; the only one about; and I was impatient to see whether there was anything in the flower-pot or not. She kindly went in with me, and saw me find it. I have told her just what I have told you, Philip.” Philip whistled softly. ‘‘ Did you tell her that we had seen the woman first at the Cave ?” “No,” said Frank, ‘‘she told me, so to say. She had felt sure you three went.” ‘Miss Cleare does not waste any love on Evelyn Agate.” “What do you mean by that?” asked Frank, nettled. ‘‘ Miss Cleare is above petty antipathies, as 1t seems to me.” Philip laughed in his critical, aggravating way. ‘If Miss Cleare did not dislike Evelyn Agate, she would not be Miss Cleare,” he said, oracularly. “Philip, [cannot understand one thing—your bad opinion of Evelyn Agate. Ifyou hold it, why are you so friendly with her? Why, you flatter her up like anything!” } ‘‘T know that, my good friend. I should lead but a lonely life if I did not maintain pleasant terms with any people except those of whom I hold a high opinion.” ‘Don’t you like her ?” “Do you?” “ Look here, Philip. Do you believe Evelyn Agate to be a de- signing woman P” Philip threw a quick glance at Frank Raven. He had keen per- ceptive faculties. Was it quite unlikely that this strange girl with her tawny brown hair, her uncommunicative eyes and her missing ante- cedents, had set a seemingly supernatural machinery in motion to secure for herself some safe position at Ravenscourt? In short, was Miss Evelyn setting her innocent cap at Frank under the rose? Or —egad, thought Philip, and this is the most likely—at Frank’s elder brother, the reigning squire? In that case, the accurate details of the witch’s knowledge—nay, the mystery of the ring itself/—became no longer mysterious. ‘‘The sooner you see my father, the better, Frank,” he said aloud. “He is atleisure now, Ithink. I will just reassure Louisa by telling her the police have taken the woman in hand; and then I'll go to him and pave the way for you.” COMIC MOO KS CON