The Argosy — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

22 Winifred Power. shaking, one after another, its numberless little drawers. Every instant she repeated this surprising manoeuvre with more and more determination, as of a person waxing unendurably impatient. Another shake—another tap. Mrs. Hatherley’s feet took to dancing of their own accord, and she had great work to keep down the gurgle of excitement that would come up in her throat, and threaten to choke if not to betray her. Then suddenly, just as she thought she must suffocate, she heard Gertrude give a cry of exultation, hastily extract a bundle of papers and hold them to the light. Presently, to Mrs. Hatherley’s indig- nation, she separated one paper from the rest, and pocketed it. ‘Then she fell to perusing another; but hardly had she begun, when a second exclamation was wrung from her, this time of amazement. Apparently she could not believe her eyes; for, holding the paper away from her and close against the now dying flame of the spent taper, she began to read it a second time. | And by this time Mrs. Hatherley, noiselessly emerging, cautiously gliding along the thick carpet, had crept up close behind her—closer —closer; and now, stretching out her eager head, was reading, un- noticed, over her shoulder. Then, as she, too, grasped the written meaning, she, too, gave a shout of triumph ; and as Gertrude, startled, turned upon her, the taper flared up in one concluding splutter and went out. The Creole seized her enemy’s wrist, and with it the paper; and in the darkness there began a crazy struggle. “Let me go!” raved Gertrude, panting. ‘ Are you mad?” “Mad?” cried Mrs. Hatherley. ‘‘ Yes; mad with joy—mad with triumph! My boy—my boy! Ah!” This final shriek was wrung from her by Gertrude’s escape. With one strenuous effort, the latter freed herself; brought down, with compromising noise, two chairs and a heap of books ; was again half-caught, again eluded the outstretched hands; and, groping wildly for the door, unlocked it and rushed out. Rushed, but not unpur- sued ; for Mrs. Hatherley, shedding shawls as she went, was on her traces. And not undiscovered ; for as she burst into the hall, two jamps simultaneously illumined the scene, and Mark, in his dressing- gown, appeared from the upper regions, while the butler, in his shirt- sleeves, emerged from the lower. ( To be continued. ) COMICLOIOO KS. EO