The Argosy — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

4 Mrs. Raven's Temptation. “But if it can’t be sifted?” debated Frank. “Itcan. Don’t tell me. A thing like that happening in a well- ordered house must have an explanation—if you can only get at it. Perhaps one of the two girls dreamt she saw the ‘ Oriental Mystery,’ and shrieked out in fright.—And here we are at the end of our search ; this is the last room—housemaid’s pantry, I believe they call it—and nothing has been found.” The party in the drawing-room, who had been straining their ears to follow the sound of the young men’s footsteps, going to and fro and up and down, received them back with a faint feeling of disap- pointment. Non-success did not bring re-assurance. As long as the cause of the shriek remained unknown, the shriek might be heard again. ‘‘ Have you searched thoroughly ?” began the minister. “Thoroughly,” replied his son Philip; “from garret to basement. There’s not a yard of space that we’ve not looked into. I can answer for it, father, that no person whatever is in the house but ourselves.” Knowing that nobody would care to go to bed until the excitement should in a degree have passed off and the matter been talked over, Mrs. Connell suggested they should all have some coffee, and the two servants were sent into the kitchen to blow up the fire and boil the kettle. ‘That’s mother all over, taking care of us all,” laughed Philip. “Tf a ghost came in sight, mother could only order it a hot bath, lest it should have taken cold in its night wanderings.” ‘‘Be serious, you young people,” said their father; ‘‘ you would like to turn everything intoridicule. ‘This matter must be cleared up, if it can be. What was that you said, Milicent, about seeing some- body in the garden P” ‘‘T had been talking with Miss Cleare, and letting the time run on unheeded, as I told you,” replied Mrs. Connell. ‘*‘When the clock struck twelve, I started up, saying I did not know what you would think had become of me. Miss Cleare opened the window cur- tains; she exclaimed what a lovely night it was, and I stood by her side for a minute, looking out. All at once, we both saw the figure of a man, coming across the lawn from the shrubs by the railings. He appeared to be making straight for the house. Sud- denly he seemed to look up—not, I think, at our window, though I can’t be sure—halt for the briefest possible moment, turn back and disappear amidst the shrubs. And before he was quite out of sight we heard that startling scream.” ‘Well now, mother, what was the man like?” asked Philip. ‘Was it anyone you knew? Should you recognise him again ?” “No,” replied Mrs. Connell, “it was not anyone I knew. I might recognise the figure again, and probably should: but in calling it a man, Philip, I speak from supposition only that it was one. It was enveloped in some covering, a dark cloak I think, from head to foot.” Frank lifted his head. ‘‘ Why,” he exclaimed, “that is just the ECOMICOOO KS, EO