The Argosy — page 270: what you’re looking at

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

The Mystery of Allan Grale. 251 ‘Which, as he is innocent of everything, means nothing at all,” rejoined Dr. Palmer. ‘‘ Remember what stress you laid on the imita- tion envelope you found; yet it was merely a spoilt specimen of a trifling art with which he has amused himself quite openly. George Vivian remembers Charles doing something of the sort for Miss Vivian’s stall at the last bazaar.” “What! have you been talking it over with the Vivians?” ques- tioned Mr. Grale, in a quick, angry tone. “It was your son who mentioned it to them, Mr. Grale. I was sorry for it, for the less the matter is spoken of abroad the better ; but I think we may trust them. I only answered a few natural questions that Edgar put.” ‘* Allan is—a fool,” decided his father concisely, “What business had he to talk? It’s no affair of his.” ‘“You may take my word for it, Mr. Grale, that Charles Carr is as innocent as you are. I regret, as things have turned out, that he did not show you at once that roll of manuscript you thought so suspicious. I have it with-me now, and you can read it if you care to take the trouble. What shall I say to Charles for you, sir?” Mr. Grale sat with his pen suspended in his hand. He was turning something over in his mind. ‘What is done cannot be undone,” he said. “I expect there will be no redress for me; that I shall not get back the money I’ve been defrauded of. And really I am so busy with important matters this morning that I’ve no time to waste with you. But you, Dr. Palmer, can ask him if he objects to telling what he knows of a Mr. Mark Bedell, and where he is now.” ‘Mark Bedell!” echoed the doctor, recalling the one perplexing point. “Yes,” said Mr. Grale. ‘I expect, if you opened that roll of manuscript you say you have brought, that’s about the first name you’d see iy it.” Dr. Palmer saw he must speak without reserve if he would do any good. Drawing his chair nearer, he confessed that Mr. Wilton had mentioned the name to him in confidence; and that Charles had declared he knew nothing wrong of it. ‘It is simply a tale of fiction that the roll of paper contains,” he added, “and the name Mark Bedell was one created out of Charles’s head.” “Do you give credit to that?” rejoined Mr. Grale sharply. “It is the name of the forger; the one he makes use of, at all events. You must see that there’s more in this coincidence than Charles Carr wishes to make out.” ‘I acknowledge that it is perplexing,” said the Doctor, “ but I am quite sure Charles is both ignorant and innocent.” “It is so perplexing that I would rather not go further into the affair just now ; I must have time to sift it thoroughly—if I can do that. I will tell you this much—that I should never have suspected the young COUM ) NOOLKS (SO) am