The Argosy — page 353: what you’re looking at

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

330 Mrs. Laven’s Temptation. for it afterwards, and not finding it, hasn’t been quite easy in her mind, I think, ever since. It’s a common green cashmere, been mended in one or two places. ‘There’s been a bit of the hem-lining torn out, and a strip of sprigged muslin sewn in, and even that’s got a little torn, too, in its turn.” ‘* Dear, dear,” cried Mr. Connell, lost in amazement. “I know about that sprigged muslin. My nephew seems to have had some Suspicion raised about that. For he had seen some of that sort be- longing to our governess, and he wrote asking her where she had got it: she told him she had bought it at a shop in Gerstowe, and had the remnant still. It came out accidentally later that my eldest daugh- ter had taken a bit from the governess’s work-basket, and given it to Miss Agate to mend something with while she was staying at our house. I did not think it worth while to write again to say that.” Nurse Hannah shook her head. ‘‘ You gentlefolks who mean to tell the truth, and try to choose what is worth telling, give us more trouble than those who set themselves to deceive us. ‘There’s nothing puts one on the wrong scent so much as hearing the truth, with bits left out between. It is the very thing we do ourselves, sir, just to set folks off the track. How came I here, you ask, sir. Under the family doctor’s orders, sir. I went to him, and all I told him and all he knows about me is gospel-truth. Only I did not tell him I was now married to Cran the detective.” “ But,” said Mr. Connell, half-pausing, and turning to the speaker, ‘¢what in the world does Miss Agate want to play the ghost for ? ” “T don’t know yet,” admitted Nurse Hannah. ‘She does not ‘walk’ alone. Some hostile influence was bearing on the Raven family before the coming here of the girl, She may be an active agent in it, or only one of its tools.” : “‘T suppose I needn’t ask whether you know Miss Evelyn Agate’s own history ?” asked the perplexed Minister. ‘‘ Are you quite satisfied about the people who brought her up? My own son is friendly with them, and has great faith in them.” ‘‘Oh, they are all right,” answered the nurse promptly. ‘‘ My husband has had his eye on them; he soon found all was open and above board there. ‘They have had their quarrel with the world right out, poor things. There’s something queer about their servant, though. We shall be sorry if this young minx brings more trouble on the Agates,” said the nurse, with a touch of tenderness. ‘And have you suspicion of anybody else in the Court household —of collusion in any quarter—or anything of that kind? Who the other can be that walks abroad with her at night ?” Nurse Hannah shook her head. ‘‘I have my own suspicions,” she said; ‘‘we all have them, say what we may, You're one of the family, sir, and must have heard of a man called Eldred Sloam, de- scended in a certain way from the old Squire Eldred. It seems his mother was a sister of Mrs. Charity Hale, who But, dear me, sit,’ CORPMICMOOKS COL