The Argosy — page 287: what you’re looking at

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

266 Mrs. Raven's Temptation. from side to side of the path in the gloom, as if she was feeling for something with her feet. Whatever she expected to find, she apparently found it. She caught it up, and wrapped it in her cloak which she was now carrying, not on her shoulders, but over her arm. She hastily made the cloak | into a careless-looking bundle, returned to the house, went straight to the housekeeper’s room, dropped her bundle into the depths of a great old-fashioned easy chair which stood there, sat down on guard in front of it, and requested that some refreshment might be brought to her as speedily as possible. She had scarcely begun to eat the meal, hastily set before her, when Evelyn looked into the room to ask Mrs. Sims some casual question. The young lady took no notice of Nurse Hannah, till that worthy woman again warned her that she looked poorly, and that she would be better in her warm bed: when she answered coldly that she would go there in a few minutes’ time. Nurse Hannah snatched a very hasty meal. In fact, she scarcely touched the food prepared. ‘*‘ Does Miss Evelyn have a hot bottle in her bed generally?” she inquired, absently. ‘“No,” said Mrs. Sims. ‘‘I don’t encourage young ladies in such ways unless they ask me. A deal of the habits folks get into depends on what servants train ’em in.” ‘“‘Let me take one up to-night, then,” said Nurse Hannah. ‘She _will be the better for it now. She looks thoroughly chilled.” She carried it upstairs in one hand, and her rolled-up cloak in the other. She took the cloak to her own room, and bundled it and its invisible contents into her own big box; then she carefully locked that box, and brought away its key in her pocket. She went on to Evelyn’s room ; again she knocked ; again there was no answer, and she tried the door. It was unfastened now, and she went in. The room was empty. She put the bottle in the bed and lingered over it, smoothing the sheets’ and patting the pillows. So, therefore, she seemed quite naturally employed, and in no sense watching or waiting, when presently Evelyn arrived, a little breathless. Nurse Hannah told her, cheerfully, what she had done for her comfort, hoped she would be better in the morning, and bade her eood-night. But before Nurse Hannah went to take up her watch by Leonard Raven’s bed, she paid another visit to her own chamber, and took a very leisurely survey of the recent addition to the contents of her trunk. It was only a light green dressing-gown. (To be continued. ) ECOMICOOO; KS. EO