The Argosy — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

The Mystery of Allan Grale. toe upon it. Somehow it was strangely suggestive of a memorial-stone: with a background of churchyard-evergreen. Then she drew up a chair beside the window and sat there, inyvisi~ ble behind the curtain. She made no pretence of book or work now. She was candidly watching—watching the avenue. The avenue was a winding one, and the lodge lay partly owt of sight from the house. Still a fair stretch of the road was in view. Maria sat on, watching. Suddenly the gate clanged heavily, and she half started up ina fever of impatience. Was he coming at last? No. Not Allan this time. No! But who was it? What could it be? It looked hke a procession. There came first a chaise, driven very slowly. It was followed by a riding-horse led by a man; other men followed. A great cry rose to Maria’s lips, but she caught it back and rushed! down stairs. Codd Sebi aR, 2Vnb Dik MR. FORESTER. On that pleasant morning, when the sunshine had been so sweetly and softly radiant in the wide breakfast-room at Dering Court, it hac seemed only hot and glaring in the close narrow streets which he: between the fashionable West End of London and the unfashion- able river-side. Very hot and glaring and parched and dusty did those Chelsea streets look to a certain pair of eyes which gazed forlornly upon them—eyes accustomed to the soft verdure of a village green, and the rich shadows of an ancient forest. Unutterably dingy were some of those streets, but that which these country- eyes beheld was by no means one of the worst. ‘Though the houses. were ‘at once mean and pretentious, Great Gray Street itself was tolerably wide, and was actually ended by a view of some trees im a little square with still higher claims to gentility. It had only ene: shop—at the corner; and its monotony was broken upon by a huge: Board School anda little iron church. If Rose Raynham, the spoiled pet of sweet Redbourne, knew more of London, she would have decided that she had reason to be fairly satisfied with her present surroundings. | Perhaps there were times since she left her home when she had wished herself back in Redbourne. But she would not own this even to herself, unless she did so by a passionate reiteration of her deter: mination not to go back—never to go back until her uncle would have to own what a mistake he had made in his estimate of Mr. Forester and the love he had for her; and then she was sure her uncle would be sorry, and she would be delighted to forgive him, and. to forget all the harsh things he had said. Miss Raynham was a tall, slight girl, with an abundance of soft CoOnniclooks (SO) an