The Argosy — page 195: what you’re looking at

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

£78 The Mystery of Allan Grale. ‘Now, what about this?” he said, cheerfully. “Oh! how queer!” she exclaimed ; ‘I don’t like it! Is it dirty? or, has it belonged to some sick person? But really, how foolish this must seem to you, papa !” “Never mind that,” remarked her father; ‘*‘go on, say anything you think. It may seem foolish to you, but it does not to me.” ‘IT declare I should not be surprised if this letter came from a prison, or a lunatic asylum! I don’t like it in my hand. There! that’s all I can say.” And she put it down. ‘“ Now take the three up together, Agnes, and tell me if you know them apart, or think they were written by or to the same person, or are in any way connected with each other.” Agnes did as she was directed. But she laid down that third paper almost instantly. ‘‘ That has nothing to do with the others,” she said. ‘“‘T’m not sure whether these others have anything to do with each other. I should not be surprised if they were written by the same person ; they are not disagreeable like the other; they are rather nice. But there is something sad about them too. Wait!” She paused sud- denly, turned her blindfold face towards her father, and then cried out in a voice of strange agony. - Pavan’ Dr. Palmer unloosed the bandage instantly, full of compunction for what he had done. The truth had flashed uponher! Aye, and some- thing more! | “ Are they blaming Edgar Vivian for Allan Grale’s death, papa ?” | she wailed. ‘Oh papa, papa, it isnot true! However things may | seem, it can never be true—it can never be true !” ‘‘Agnes, my child,” said the Doctor, “nobody is blaming any- body for anything—yet. How can they, when nothing is known of what has really happened ?” ‘But, papa, I have heard a word dropped in the last day or two, and I seem to discern all. Is it not true that Allan Grale is now thought to be dead—drowned—and that Edgar Vivian is supposed to —to have been with him at the last? Surely they cannot think that —that ” She broke down, sobbing bitterly. ‘Forgive me, my dear,” said the Doctor, soothing her; “I never thought of its affecting you like this. It occurred to me to wonder whether you could find out any difference among those papers ; I never dreamed you would guess that any of them were Edgar Vivian's.” “Tt came straight to me,” she said, simply ; “I cannot tell how. May I see those papers, papa?” “No, my dear,” he answered ; “‘they arenot mine to show. ‘They - are only in my keeping.” ‘“ And who wrote that one which is not Edgar’s ?” pursued Agnes. She did not seem to fear she might have made a mistake. The Doctor was glad to be able to say “I don’t know.” This was quite true, since Edgar denied it. CORMICMIOOKS. COn :