The Argosy — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

160 A Glove’s Evidence. ‘Found in Johnson’s box? Is it posszble ?” The man smiled slightly, and, with a hasty glance at the accused and. at the door—as though a little doubtful about its being safe to let go his hold—he stepped cautiously across the floor to Lady Jakes and laid the missing ring upon the table by her side. “Oh, Johnson! This is too bad!” she cried. ‘‘ Haven’t I trusted you in every way? MHaven’t I treated you more as a friend than a servant ? If you had asked me for the ring I might have given it to you. Qh, it is infamous that I should have been so deceived! And Canon Bywell gave you such a character, too! Have you nothing to say for yourself? Can’t you speak, girl?” . The great tears stood in Margaret’s eyes, but did not fall. She looked piteously from her mistress to the flushed and excited faces of the servants who had followed. ‘““T have nothing to say, except that I aminnocent. I did not put it there,” she faltered. ‘Innocent !” sneered the policeman, “‘ the ring was hidden in the finger of a glove. On the top of her locked box, my lady, was lying this pair of gloves. I might just have tossed them on one side, but, thinks J, they’re smart gloves now for a lady’s maid, and handled them almost by chance. Inside the finger of one of them I found this ring. Queer hiding-place and clever.” As he spoke he pushed the ring into the third finger of the right hand glove, in illustration of his words. ‘‘Am I to take away the young woman on the charge ?” But the poor girl heard no more ; she had fainted. “No, no, I won’t turn her away to-night,’ answered Lady Jakes, whose anger was fast abating. ‘‘ Carry her up to her room, some of you. She can stay till morning. Leave the gloves, policeman, and if you look in at breakfast-time to-morrow I will tell you what I have decided to do.” No sooner had Margaret been conveyed insensible to her room, than Mr. Bywell was announced. Now Lady Jakes had looked for- ward to receiving the handsome barrister—should he call—in a calm, even stately fashion; but the painful occurrence that had just trans- pired effectually effaced all such intentions. After apologising for making so late a call, explaining briefly that he had been detained in court, he said: ‘“‘ I was most anxious to see you on a private matter of my own. Indeed, I find myself in a position of such difficulty that I am in a measure bound to take you into my confidence. Margaret Johnson 4 “ Oh, Mr. Bywell!” she interrupted eagerly, ‘‘ have you come to speak to me about that wretched girl? Whatever it is, it can scarcely be worse than I already know. How infamously she has deceived us all !” “Pardon me. I do not understand you in the least.” “No? I thought of course it was something about her character CORMICLOOOKS EO)