The Argosy — page 369: what you’re looking at

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

346 Mrs. Raven's Temptation. “Charity Hale had no _ friends—scarcely any acquaintances,” spoke Mr. Toynbee. ‘‘Her sister Salome was long since dead, and her sister Isabella never came to Ravenscourt.” “She had a sister Isabella, then Pp—‘ Isabella Hale,’” said the Lawyer. He wrote the name down on a piece of blotting-paper which lay before him. ‘The pen he used was a quill which had once seen hard usage in the service of the frugal Leonard. ‘The lawyer’s handwriting was rather bold and large. “Could Frank be Miss Agate’s lost nephew ?” suggested Philip, ‘But what object could any people have had in grafting the Agate child upon the Raven stem? Yet if we could believe this, much else becomes plain. One can then understand their wish to persuade Frank into marrying this Evelyn, who is at least some remote con- nection of theirs, and from whose future good offices they might expect something. Who was that cunning fortune-teller, I wonder?” Mr. Connell started at this abrupt betrayal of poor Frank’s honour- ably-guarded secret. ‘‘How do you know that—that—any such thing was proposed to Frank?” he asked. ‘‘I’m sure Frank has never told you so. I don’t suppose the woman did.” Philip laughed lightly. ‘‘I gathered it,” he said, ‘‘and I got proof positive on that night when he showed you the paper he found in the flower-pot with the hidden gold. You held that behind the candle to read it, and I saw the chief words of the message backwards— thus!” and Philip caught up the sheet of blotting-paper and held it between himself and the window. At this moment Budd advanced into the room, bearing a letter on a salver. ‘The old servant’s face was pale and solemn. ‘“‘T’m bidden to give that to you, sir,” he said, in awe-struck tones, advancing towards Mr. Connell. The letter was clean, but old-looking and it bore a postage-stamp, though it was guiltless of post-marks. It was addressed to Frank Raven, at Cambridge. ‘“T’ve seen an imitation of this handwriting lately,” exclaimed Mr. Connell. “But this is really the late Squire’s,” said the Vicar, positively. **T am sure of it. Where does it come from, Budd?” The lawyer put up his eyeglass, and looked at the three elderly men standing riveted round an ordinary-looking letter—grown awful because in their eyes it was, in very truth, a letter from the dead! As for Philip, he was so strangely absorbed by the blotting-paper that he noticed nothing; but he suddenly turned about, and broke the hush that had fallen. on the room, with an exclamation. ‘“We have got her! ‘They are one and the same!” (Zo be concluded. ) EOLMICELNOVOL KS, (E00)