The Argosy — page 265: what you’re looking at

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

244 Mrs. Raven’s Temptation. mysterious figure of some sort,” answered Frank. ‘As to its being a ghost, I think I have not quite made up my mind. Of course, one doesn’t believe in such things in a general way, and yet . ‘‘One generally has one’s own ghost story that one does believe,” chimed in Philip. “Can there be anybody at Raven who could find it to their interest to get Evelyn withdrawn?” mused Miss Agate, “ anybody who may have been carrying on little peculations, which the presence of an active and acute young lady might check? What do you think of that suggestion, Mr. Raven?” “Oh no,” cried Frank, warmly, ‘the servants are all old servants, who could be trusted with untold gold.” ‘Possibly better than with carefully counted gold,” said Philip, drily. But the sarcasm fell unnoticed, for there came a sharp, hurried knocking on the wall of the room. Miss Agate rose hastily. ‘‘It 1s only my poor brother,” she said. ‘“‘T will go and tell him that I will be with him in a few minutes.” She went out and came back hastily. The gentlemen had risen. “No, no,” she said. ‘‘ My brother only wants to speak with me, and I will go to him presently. I can’t let you go without consulting you definitely. You really do not think I should send for Evelyn? It seems like an insult to your family to ask such a question,” she added, turning to Frank. “I should be sorry to send for her. Evelyn seems so thoroughly happy. Each letter is brighter than the — last. What have I to offer her in exchange for all she has there? But, then, this mysterious snake—this spy—this traitor—hidden some- where in the grass! And this story of the baleful ghost! Evelyn wrote something about it once, but I took it to be merely some old wives’ tale. And she has alluded to it again in the letter I had last.” ‘Ah, you promised to read us that letter,” said Philip, interested. ‘¢So I will,” answered Gertrude Agate, drawing it from her pocket. But she could not hand them Evelyn’s letter to read, because there were sundry phrases disparaging to Mrs. Raven and Leonard. She had judiciously to choose extracts. ‘Everything here is very beautiful just now. ‘The nights are frosty already, but the days are bright and fair. Mrs. Raven has had some new damask put on the drawing-room furniture—splendid stuff, which cost, I know not how much per yard.” Then a little skipping was required. ‘‘T get on famously now with the old woman, Charity Hale, whom I didn’t think I should like at first. Her dry, hard manner, which I fancied was insolence, is only her way. ‘Tell Mary Davies that Mrs. Hale has taken me to see her old friend, Eldred Sloam. Don’t you re- member how queer she turned that night when I teased her about him P” “I didn’t tell Davies anything of the sort,” interposed. Miss_