The Argosy — page 288: what you’re looking at

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

The Mystery of Allan Grale. 269 OQ, Mary Anne,” wailed the unhappy mother, ‘do you think we might possibly get this over without your papa knowing it ?” Mary Anne paused, revolving sundry thoughts of her own. ‘Of course we could,” she said. ‘‘ Only you are always so nervous, mamma, you would probably let something slip out.” ‘No, I wouldn't,” said Mrs. Grale eagerly. ‘‘I’d keep perfectly quiet, my dear. Just trust me. At least until night. If he doesn’t come home before then, I could never le awake listening and not let your papa know.” “ He is sure to be home before then,” answered Mary Anne. ‘“ He will remember that we do not know where he went to, and that you will be uneasy. With all his faults, mother, he 1s fond of you.” “Ah, that he 1s. Only—suppose anything should be wrong ?” sud- denly added Mrs. Grale. “What can be wrong?” returned Mary Anne. ‘‘ There cannot have been any accident ; in a place like this we should hear of it instantly. No news is good news everywhere, except in great cities. But I tell you, mamma, you are nervous to-day; but for that, you would not be uneasy.” “Perhaps I am,” the mother meekly said. And already her cap was beginning to stand on one side. ‘“‘You’d better go up stairs and lie down and rest as much as you can,” observed Mary Anne. ‘“‘If visitors come in—or papa—I will say you have a headache. You may drop asleep, and that will make the day pass more quickly. Mrs. Grale took her daughter’s advice. But the day passed tediously enough for both of them. Mr. Grale did not come home for lunch. Also, he was so very late for dinner that he could not wonder the rest of the family had taken that meal without him. His late absence from Dering caused him to be very busy at the works. Mary Anne met him with the intimation that ‘mamma was poorly and had been lying down the greater part of the day.” She did not add another word, though her tone and manner conveyed a good deal of reproach, over which the old gentleman gave an inarticulate grumble, but made no enquiry about Allan. Mary Anne had not received a visit from George Vivian which she had somewhat expected ; but a messenger came from the Court con- veying Mr. George Vivian’s compliments and enquiries after the ladies, which pleased her almost as well. He brought a book which George had chanced to mention during their drive the previous night, and a bouquet of beautiful white flowers from the Court greenhouse. There seemed to Mary Anne an especial significance in those flowers being white ! After dinner, Mr. Grale did not go back to the mills as he some- times did, but retired to a little room which he kept for business purposes in his own house, and where he presently received one or two callers. As James, the discriminating manservant described COnnicloooks (SO) an