The Argosy — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

100 The Mystery of Allan Grale. Lettice obeyed: but as she did so, she said, ‘I don’t think the chill is in the air, I think it is in us.” Which Agnes knew too well. ‘“T wonder if it is true that there are certain people who can tell where any article has been, and what has gone on around it, by simply seeing it or touching it,” observed Letty, presently. ‘“‘ One sometimes hears wonderful stories of such things. If there is any truth at their bottom, surely many mysteries might be cleared up.” Agnes shook her head dubiously. “I believe there is some truth in them, Lettice, but I fancy it 1s an intangible, personal kind of truth ; just as we are lable to be attracted or repelled by people of whom we know nothing.” “T see what you mean,” mused Lettice. ‘‘ For instance, with that,” and she pointed to the stick, ‘‘we know of the doubts there have been and of Maria’s fears, so we, looking at it, conjure up a picture of despair and disaster and death.” “Oddly enough, there comes to me only a vision of wickedness and remorse,” said Agnes. ‘‘ But let us leave it.” “Oh, and here’s papa!” exclaimed Lettice, looking from the window. “I think I never felt so glad to see him.” On the morning of this same bright day, Charles Carr took advan- tage of the sunshine to walk to Carstow, whence he took the train to Sladford, his errand to the latter place being to buy another watch- maker’s hammer, and hand it, with his apologies, to his friend, Mark Acland. Of the lost hammer no trace could be found. Charles had seen and questioned the man who mended the clock at the works, but the latter assured him he had not carried it away. Mark Acland was with a surgeon at Sladford, one Mr. Stephenson. Mr. Stephenson united the business of a chemist and druggist to his profession, and all that part of young Acland’s time not given to study or to paying visits to patients with his master, was spent behind the counter in the shop, dispensing drugs. Charles Carr, passing through the streets of Sladford, which the sun was making hot and bright, as elsewhere, after the days of gloomy rain, found him there on this morning, 1n full charge of the shop, the regular attendant in it being laid up with illness. Acland was a gay- natured, pleasant-mannered young fellow and welcomed Charles with effusion. Greetings over, Charles went straight to the point at once. “You remember the watchmaker’s hammer you lent me so long ago, Mark?” ‘Well, yes, I do,” admitted Mark, smiling. ‘‘To own the truth, I thought you had forgotten it.” ) ‘And so I had,” replied Charles. “It slipped out of my mind altogether for a time. And now it is not to be found.” “"That’s a pity,” said the young man, “for I had only borrowed it CONIC OOOLKS (E(©)