The Argosy — page 182: what you’re looking at

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

fee ARG ONS. Y. MARCH, 1885. THE MYSTERY OF ALLAN GRALE. + + CHAPTER IX. THE GENERAL’S SPADE-GUINEA. sR is one of the terrible experiences of life, when, our whole nature being strung up to receive and endure a shock from one direc- tion, a sharp and ringing blow falls upon us from quite another quarter. Whatever Maria Vivian had been expecting, on that sweet slum- brous afternoon at Dering Court, it was certainly not that carefully driven chaise, slowly advancing up the avenue, with the led horse behind it. She knew at once that some sudden evil had befallen her uncle, the General. She recognised the man who was driving _ the chaise. It was Webster, their ex-footman, who had married a former maid of her own, and was landlord of that hostel, the Knight’s Arms, at which she had thought it likely her uncle would take lunch. “O, Webster!” cried Maria, with white lips, as she ran out, and the man touched his hat to her. She could only stand aside with clasped hands on the great flight of steps, while the servants lifted out the unconscious form of the master of the house, and bore him gently into it. | “The General lunched at our inn, Miss Maria” Webster said, ‘‘and my wife would have it there was something coming over him then. She told me so when he went away. But I thought it was only her fancies. About an hour after that, a lad came running to say he was lying on the Dering Road, insensible. And off we set at once, and there he was. We didn’t lose any time, Miss Maria.” “T’m sure you would not, Webster,” she said, with the gracious sweetness that was naturai to her. Dr. Palmer had been sent for, and in the meantime, Mrs. Vivian and her experienced female servants did their best for the sick man’s comfort and well-being. Only they could not restore him to con- sciousness. He lay with half-closed eyes, moaning heavily. VOL... XXX, M CORNICLOO ss) (SO)