The Argosy — page 355: what you’re looking at

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

334 PM Mystery of Allan Grale. servant saw, as she believed, that she had all along been mistaken as to the date, and had sworn wrongly. ‘Taking the calendar in her hand, she went into the room of her mistress, who sat there talking with Mr. Grale. ‘*Oh, ma’am !” she wailed, her face pale and her lips trembling ; ‘Oh, sir! see what a mistake I made. ‘That dreadful day, which I swore to as the twentieth of October, turns out to have been the twentieth of August !” ‘What do you mean, girl?” angrily demanded Mr. Grale. ‘‘'That is, sir, 1 mean the card was for August,” explained she, feel- ing utterly bewildered. Mrs. Grale felt nearly as much so. ‘‘ Was the twentieth of August on a Tuesday last year ?” she asked her husband. He walked heavily across the room, and consulted an old almanac. “No,” he sternly answered. ‘‘ Don’t bring any of your foolish fancies here again,” he added to Susan. The girl shrunk, cowed, from the presence of her master and mis- tress, the extraordinary calendar borne in her hand. “T’m too forward with my tongue, I suppose, as people say,” thought she, ‘‘and master’s that hasty when he’s put out, there’s no standing before him. But I should like him to explain this puzzle if ne ‘care TPeant.” Yet the puzzle was a simple one. Susan had by mistake taken up a card for August, and mentally appended a wrong date to it uncon- sciously ; the date which had held so great a hold upon her mind. Maria Vivian drove down to Dering station to receive poor Rose at the end of her long and dreary journey from the wilds of Ross-shire. Those of the villagers who saw Miss Vivian pass along in the Court carriage, guessed what her errand was. ‘¢ Had I foreseen this day in all its details, I should have said that I hould not be able to bear it,” thought Maria, as she alighted. She would not remain in the carriage: the young wife must see her the moment the train drew up. She would not go into the little waiting-room, she felt too restless, but walked up and down the nar- row platform. Anautumn chill was in the air, and there were autumn tints on the trees. Maria drew her mantle about her, but she did not lower her veil: the cool breeze was grateful to her tear-fevered face. ‘She is sure to come, I think; she must not fail!” thought Maria, anxiously. If she failed she was little likely to see her husband in life. The painful excitement caused by the revelation of his humiliating ‘secret, had cost George Vivian dear. His minutes were numbered. He might even be gone before Maria could regain the Court. A faint rumbling in the distance. The train was coming. Now it was inthe station. It had scarcely stopped before a slight girl stepped CONNIE OOOlKS (E(@)