The Argosy — page 268: what you’re looking at

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

Mrs. Raven’s Lemptation. 247 mentioned other troubles, and Philip is very anxious to offer his services if they can be of any use. Shall he come?” Mrs. Raven hesitated. ‘‘ No,” she decided; “at least, not just now. You can send for him afterwards, if you like.” “Then I must say that Leonard is very ill, but everybody else is safe and in good health?” said Frank. “Ves,” she answered, and added, speaking slowly: ‘‘ About what was it that you had any anxiety?” ‘‘ Nothing exactly,” Frank returned: ‘only, through your telegram, { understood something more was wrong. And Philip read the message too, and as he is to see Miss Agate this evening, his report ef it might make her anxious.” Frank almost expected a rebuke for remembering anybody but themselves at such a time. But the lady only sighed. ‘‘ Ah, yes, poor Miss Agate. Telegraph at once to Mr. Connell, Frank.” During their drive up to the Court, Mrs. Raven told her son the few bald facts at her command. After her return. home, everything had gone on as usual at the Court and in the village. Only, there had always been this disagreeable, unsettling gossip about the ghost, or rather the ghosts ; though Worsfold’s story, for he began it, seemed too trivial for serious reflection. But for Frank’s letter of inquiry from Coltburn, this story might have been long in reaching Leonard’s ears, for people are always the last to hear unpleasant things about their own houses and ancestors. But immediately on receipt of Frank’s letter, Leonard had asked a few questions, and had received answers which roused a naturally indignant curiosity. And now, during the last few days—the time since Mrs. Raven’s return—the rumour had grown bigger, and a new touch of sensation was added by the account of the woman form with the white cap, and the old-style green print gown. Mrs. Raven looked earnestly at Frank as she communicated this last item. She could not guess that Frank was already in pos- session of it, through Evelyn's letter to Miss Agate. “Oh, I have heard something of that,” Frank said. ‘ Miss Evelyn Agate mentioned it in a letter to her aunt, who repeated it to us when we were visiting her last night. I can understand how much these things have annoyed Leonard: he should have heard nothing of them from me, if it had not seemed absolutely necessary.” Mrs. Raven shook her head mournfully. ‘‘ Your brother was very angry,” she said. ‘‘ As to the tall figure which the foolish people call ‘Squire Eldred,’ he believed it must be the man Sloam masquerading for some nefarious purposes of his own. But when he heard that Sloam was lying injured in bed, and had been himself alarmed by something he had met in the Warren—and when Worsfold’s story was added, Leonard did not know what to think.” ‘Certainly it became impossible to imagine it was all delusion,” observed Frank. “So Leonard said at the time: if it was some underhand work, COMMICOOOKS.€O