The Argosy — page 273: what you’re looking at

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

252 Mrs. Raven’s Temptation. opening in it. T’rank moved towards it with vivid curiosity. There had certainly been an opening, and the boughs were still hanging as if they had been rudely and recently brushed aside. ‘The whole yielded easily to a sudden pressure, as Frank himself passed through, and then it closed again behind him much as before. He stood on the other side, and looked back towards the lane. If — his brother had really seen anything, then this was the way by which it had disappeared from the sight of Budd and Fisher. And I’rank’s heart gave a leap. ‘There was something sticking in the hedge—a small, white something. It might be a clue, however faint. Why did his breath come hard and his cheek turn pale, as he dis- entangled it and held it in his hand? It was but a torn scrap of coarse muslin, starred with a quaint flower pattern—an article which might be bought at any country shop, anywhere. But Frank had seen a piece of similar stuff before. And that was in Alice Cleare’s work-basket. CHAPTER XXXVII. AN AGENT ABOUT THE COURT. FRANK went home like one in a dream: and yet with a clear pur- pose. He must write to Alice Cleare at once, and ask her where she had got that muslin, and whether she knew of anybody else who had some like it. And when he sat down, and promptly wrote the letter, that was all he said, except that he sent messages of kind remem- brance to all the Connell family. Frank sent this letter by the same post which took his other epistle to Philip. ‘The hours passed drearily. - Frank sat with his mother and Evelyn Agate at meals, but Mrs. Raven was in a state of nervous exhaustion, which caused her to shrink almost at a word or a look, and made her son feel that the most dutiful kindness he could show was to leave her in quietness. ‘The younger lady seemed gloomy and absorbed, never originated a remark, and only answered shortly when addressed. The doctors came and went. ‘There was no perceptible change in the patient, either for better or worse ; and the only cause for satisfac- tion was that everything which wealth, skill and money could do, was certainly being done. Dr. Wragge was quite enthusiastic in his delight at having secured the services of so valuable a person as ‘* Nurse Hannah.” ‘And it happened providentially, as one may say,” he told Frank. ‘I was sent for to your poor brother at about two o’clock in the morning, and as soon as I got to the Court I sent back for my regular nurse, Bray, a good woman, thorough-trained, and not to be surpassed in a general way; but if her experience is less on one point than on another, it is on the very matter we have in hand just now.” COPMICLIOO KS, EO)