The Argosy — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

The Mystery of Allan Grale. 173 was softened, and the poor mother began to hope again that her son might be alive and safe. Mrs. Grale and Mary Anne lost no time in confiding to Mr. Grale the suggestion of Lady Laura Bond—that of employing a medium. Mary Anne proved right in her belief that her father would not pooh- pooh the idea. Mr. Grale was no more a sceptic in the unseen than he was in religion, but he cared for none of these mystical things. He laughed at ghosts, visions, presentiments, and the like, much as he would have laughed at romance, poetry or martyrdom. Never- theless, when the laugh was done, he would narrate, as most of us do, one or two ‘‘ queer things ” he knew, “quite true and quite unac- countable,” and very angry would he be if anybody seemed to doubt his assurances of their having happened, or tried to account for his incidents as commonplace matter-of-fact. Besides, Mr. Grale’s own mind was in truth cruelly exercised, though he hid his doubts and trouble from the world. Was his son alive, or was his son dead? To be set at rest on this point he would have given much ; and it may be, a half idea crossed him thata ‘ medium ” could do it. But—though Mr. Grale did not laugh to scorn the proposal of con- sulting one, he yet gave no sign that he would accede toit. There seemed to be some serious objection in his mind; his daughter thought so. The discussion ended by his saying that he would him- self go over, and discuss the matter with Lady Laura Bond. Lady Laura marvelled within herself when the manufacturer’s card was brought to her. In a moment she guessed what it was that he had come about, and she guessed that he was favourably inclined thereto : for no man, in her experience, had ever taken a long drive on purpose to contradict or deny her wishes. Her wishes had been crossed often enough, but people had gone out of her reach to thwart her. So she went down to receive her visitor, and placed him in the snuggest chair (her drawing-room was full of snug chairs), and enquired after his wife and daughter, and showed no sign of any consciousness of aught deeper than an ordinary call, except by the extreme quietness of her manner, and the almost caressing softness of her tones. “Lady Laura,” he said, abruptly, after a moment’s pause, “my wife tells me that you have spoken to her of a way by which—by which matters hidden from common knowledge may have some light thrown upon them.” ‘Ah, dear Mr. Grale, yes; we were talking,” said Lady Laura, sweetly. ‘I think you must be troubled at not getting news about your poor boy. Have you employed the detective police ? ” “ T don’t think much of the detective police, madam,” observed Mr. Grale, looking round, and wondering whether it was the aroma of aristocracy which gave a charm to the cheap chintzes and common plants of Lady Laura’s room, such as entirely eluded the solid CONNICOOO (CO)