The Argosy — page 238: what you’re looking at

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

My Saturdays. 221 ‘Very suddenly, from heart disease.” “Heart disease?” she said, contemptuously. “He killed her. I knew it. Heis a murderer; but he will be punished. His punish- ment begins to-day, and I have helped to begin it. I am glad.” ‘You know nothing about it,” I answered, growing angry. ‘‘ Cap- tain and Mrs. Perth were always on very good terms; and if they were not, what business is it of yours ? ” “On good terms?” she repeated again, with a harsh laugh. ‘‘That means that she bore it, and said nothing about it. You needn’t try to humbug me; the spirits tell the truth. What business is itof mine? Well, none, perhaps; but it’s my pleasure. I like to see cruel people punished ; and he was cruel. I am punished; why shouldn’t he be ?” C6 You P 9 ‘Oh, yes, I. Don’t I look like it? Don’t I look like a woman who is cursed, and haunted, and driven mad and desperate, till her only pleasure is to see the same justice done on others who have been as bad? Don’t I?” She did look so awfully like it as she clutched my arm and shook it, her eyes widening and widening, with green gleams on them like a wild creature’s, that I thought for a moment she was going mad. I sought about for something to say to calm her. ‘¢ Sometimes people are punished in this life for their good, that they may escape worse hereafter,” I ventured, not feeling very sure of my ground. | “Do you think so, Mrs. Singleton ? oh, do you think so? Do you think one can have one’s torment in this life, and not in the next ?” “My dear,” I said, ‘‘these are awful questions. I can’t answer them. You had better talk to a clergyman if you have anything on your mind.” “T can’t. I can’t talk to anybody. I never said a word before. I don’t know how I came to say anything now. I ought to hold my tongue.” “No,” I said, boldly. ‘‘ You have held your tongue long enough, and it is killing you. Tell me all about it. If I can’t help you, per- haps I can comfort you.” ‘““Comfort me, you good creature! Ycu comfort me! And you want me totell you! What would you say if I did tell you? What would you say if you heard that I was a murderess ?” “I should say that I didn’t believe it.” . “But it is true. Oh, it is true! And yet I never meant it—I never meant it!” She dropped in a heap on the ground, clutching the arm of a chair in her hands, and burying her face in her arms. Her breath came in long-drawn gasps, that were almost groans. I knelt on the floor beside her, and laid my hand on her shoulder. She shivered away from it. Conmiiclooolkks (GO An