The Argosy — page 269: what you’re looking at

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

248 Mrs. Raven’s Temptation. it was evidently extensively organised. And he determined to sift it to the bottom.” ‘What did he do?” asked Frank, driving slowly. Mrs. Raven went on. ‘‘ The tall, huge figure seemed to have been seen at all hours after dusk. On the few occasions that the two other figures have been seen—for people, since Worsfold, own to having seen them—it was always near midnight, long after the Court and all the respectable houses in the village were closed.” “The odd thing is, why anybody should instantly attach a thought of the supernatural to these figures,” pondered Frank. ‘ There must be something behind to account for this. For, though respectable houses may be shut for the night, young women, even from the same respectable houses, may venture to take a ramble with a clandestine lover. I believe our own servants have sometimes done S).” Mrs. Raven shook her head deprecatingly at the absent servants. ‘‘Leonard thought this very possible,” she said. ‘The story ran, that the figures had been seen, from a distance, at the back of the Court, also in Ash Lane, also at the corner of the moor. Leonard resolved to watch these places himself; and to have Budd and Mr. Fisher, of the White Hart, not far off—-to seize upon the offenders, you understand, Frank.” ‘A very good idea,” observed Frank, with approbation. ‘‘ They are elderly enough to be trustworthy, and if armed with good staves they could be effective.” ‘So they went out the night before last,” pursued his mother. ‘‘Teonard told me nothing about it beforehand,” she added, with a wailing note in her voice. ‘‘ He only wanted to spare you trouble,” said Frank. “He went,” she sighed, ‘(and the others went with him. Their instructions were to keep out of sight, but to follow him up if they heard him give a call or acry of any sort. They were to listen for a whistle. ‘I expect to meet nothing worse than a pair of belated lovers,’ said Leonard to them, ‘and we need not let them know we have been watching.’ So he went on in advance. Budd and Fisher saw him turn into Ash Lane, and they had not quite reached its corner, when they heard a shriek ———” She paused a moment, and then resumed : ‘Budd says that he knew in a minute there was something alto- gether wrong, because it was not a halloa or a call—but a terrible cry. ‘They both rushed forward. And there was your poor brother, lying on the ground quite insensible.” ‘That was the night before last, then,” observed Frank. ‘Surely you did not telegraph to me so quickly as you might ?” “No,” she said, faintly. ‘I waited, hoping that Leonard might recover consciousness.” “And he has not?” CORPMICLIOO KS, Eo