The Argosy — page 206: what you’re looking at

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

The Mystery of Allan Grale. 189 because of his knowing the General’s name, and the sign of my house, and the like. And yet, if he was anybody belonging to the neigh- bourhood, it seems odd that he does not come forward. Nobody appears to have seen him but the boy, Joe Ward, and he is pretty new to the place, and doesn’t know residents from visitors.” “Tt is certainly singular,” observed Dr. Palmer. ‘‘ The General’s memory of the matter may return some day with a flash, and then he will tell us all about it.” Maria thought of the lost spade-guinea. It had never been found or heard of. ‘That also seemed singular. Webster added a bit of news before he drove away. “Mr. Grale’s back to-night at last,” he said. ‘‘ And he must have come in quite unexpected, for there was no carriage to meet him. That’s his way in general: he likes to drop on his people unawares,” laughed Webster. And, touching his hat again, the host of the ae ‘““Knight’s Arms” drove off. Dr. Palmer and Maria walked on in silence. For Webster’s remarks had furnished each of them with food for private meditation. A turn of the road brought them face to face with Mrs. Massey, that village widow who had once sought Maria’s advice as to taking in a strange lodger. She stopped them with a deep curtsey. Her business was urgent. She was on her way to fetch the Doctor to the woodman’s house in Dering Camp, where a sick baby had just been seized with con- vulsions. “T can walk fast,” said sympathetic Maria to Dr. Palmer. ‘Our roads will le together for a little while, and when we part I shall not be very far from the Court, and it will not be dark, only twilight.” Certainly the Doctor could not have allowed a mere matter of gallant attention to divert him from his duty in a combat between life and death, but he liked the quiet way in which Miss Vivian settled it. They walked forward quickly, and Mrs. Massey kept beside them. ‘““ And how are you getting on with your new inmate ?” Maria asked her. For she knew that the stranger was lodging at the widow’s. “Well, so-so, ma’am, thank you,” said Mrs. Massey. ‘She gives very little trouble ; and she’s away as much as she’s at home.” ‘““What is her name ?” ‘asked Maria. “She calls herself Jane West,” answered Mrs. Massey, with a caution which clearly betrayed mistrust. ‘‘ And she pays her rent in advance.” ‘Then what are you uneasy about?” asked Dr. Palmer. Maria saw that the widow was embarrassed, and came good- naturedly to the rescue. ‘‘ Mrs. Massey thinks there is: something strange about her, I believe ; something more than meets the eye.” “Well, I can’t get it out of my mind that it is so,’ acknowledged the widow. ‘Do you know where she comes from ?” inquired Dr. Palmer. ‘““She has wrote to me once or twice from London and dates her GOmilGoaooks (SO) An