The Argosy — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

g6 The Mystery of Allan Grale. “Yes, and welcome,” replied Allan, “if youll come out in the open air. ‘This place is stifling.” Edgar assented. He thought Allan looked pale and ill even through the sunbrowning of his recent travels. ‘That last holiday had surely not done very much good either to him or to his own brother ! ‘““T have come over to ask your advice and perhaps your help, Grale,’’ he began, as they strolled along together. ‘And I was just wishing to see you, to ask you todo mea favour,” returned Allan. ‘I don’t know what put you into my head,—and yet I might have thought of you before.” ‘“T’m sure I shall be only too happy, if it be within my power,” was the reply. ‘Oh it’s certainly that,” returned Allan, ‘it’s a mere trifle.”. ‘“T wish I could say the same of mine,” observed Edgar ruefully. ‘Well, what is it? It may not seem so large to me as to you.” “The truth is,” narrated Edgar, speaking with hurried shame- facedness, ‘‘I am deep in debt.” “Well,” said Allan, coolly, “that is always unfortunate,—but it does not surprise me.” Edgar felt rather taken aback. ‘It would surprise me very much if I were in debt on my own account,” he replied. ‘ Last year I was induced by one I then called a friend to accept a bill for two hundred pounds. If matters had been as they were represented to me, I should certainly have been repaid before now, and able to meet the bill. As they really are, I shall never receive a penny.” ‘*Can’t you come down upon your quondam friend ?” asked Allan. Edgar Vivian was secretly chafing under the calm sarcastic tone of the other. He felt that Allan ridiculed him as a dupe. ‘“*T don’t know where he is,” he said, shortly. ‘But don’t you know where his friends are? ‘They might meet you, at least half way, for his sake, you know. Family affection will often do as much as that, when family pride is endangered by some imminent exposure.” Edgar hated Allan’s cynicism ; yet he thought it only made him the more valuable adviser for the world and the world’s ways. “I would not think of asking relatives to save me from the conse- quences of a deception into which I had been led without any con- -sent or connivance of theirs,” he cried, hotly. ‘‘ That is not my style of morality. It may be highly respectable, but for my own part, I would rather be a highwayman than an extortioner ! ” “Oh dear, dear,” said Allan, in a mocking but withal kindly tone. ‘““T can’t go into the details of the story,” said Edgar. ‘ All I can say is, the family are poor and unfortunate, and this man whom I called my friend, turns out to be the black sheep of the flock. Oh how cruelly and cleverly he deceived them! And any attempt to bring punishment on him would injure his people far more than it CONNIE OOO KS (EO)