The Argosy — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

Mrs. Raven's Temptation. — | II ‘¢ A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” mused the girl, as she lay silently, quite unheeding Louisa’s ill-suppressed sighs. ‘¢ A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” She turned round and composed herself to sleep. Wakefulness destroyed good looks, and confused the brain. She did not feel excited by these imaginings. If Frank were really a changeling, who brought him to the Court, and where did he come from? Some- body must have lost him. Ha!—and she started at the sudden thought—there was the Agates’ baby boy! That was lost—or stolen. Could that boy be Frank? Dear, dear! if Aunt Gertrude got a suspicion of all this, how she would work to unfathom the mystery, and not leave a stone unturned! But Aunt Gertrude’s suspicions must not be roused. ‘That might only end in unsettling Evelyn’s present position, without in the least improving her future. Thus Evelyn’s fancy went toying with her own life and the lives and hearts of those who stood nearest her; but she did not find the game too exciting, for she fell asleep in the middle of it. : Next morning, she remembered her own ideas almost as if they had come to her in a dream. She was Mrs. Raven’s companion ; neither more nor less. But there are some dreams which we do not readily forget. Of course, the first topic of conversation at the breakfast table was the alarm of the preceding night. The only one of the party who looked any the worse for the disturbance was Mrs. Raven. She owned she had never closed her eyes, but added that sleeplessness was no uncommon condition with her now. ‘There was a fall in her voice, aS she said that, which went to Frank’s heart. “Did you notice any people beside yourselves at the Cave yesterday?” suddenly asked Mrs. Connell. ‘ Loose characters do hang about there sometimes.” Louisa’s face flushed vividly. But Evelyn’s reply was prompt. ‘We saw nobody except our own party. At least I did not. Did you P”—and she turned towards the two others. Louisa bent her head to stir the sugar in her cup. Philip looked Evelyn full in the face. ‘““Our own party!” he repeated. ‘I scarcely saw even it at the Cave. ‘There was not room for us all inside together.” ‘* Ah, well,” said Mrs. Connell. ‘ There are many hours in a day, and I dare say most people visit that place in the afternoon. Besides, these sensational advertisements often conceal meanings quite different from what appears on their surface.” “Why, mother,” exclaimed Philip, “ what are you talking of? ‘What has the Cave to do with sensational advertisements ?” ‘““Qnly this, Philip: there is such an advertisement in to-day’s paper, purporting to have some connection with a yesterday’s visitor at the Cave.” ECORnNIClOOKKS (CO)