The Argosy — page 380: what you’re looking at

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

Aunt Paradox. 359 Her voice seemed to be failing her. ‘‘Shall I not get my five hundred a year?” she faltered. Richard would not tell her the truth just now—that she would get nothing. He plunged into comments upon the news, as if her question had escaped his ears. “Uncle Charles must have had his will out that night, looking at it. Gatty remarked that he drew the candles close to him on the table as if he were about to read, though the man saw no book about. And he no doubt, later, put the will back in its envelope, and slipped it into the inner pocket of his dressing-gown, before causing Gatty to place his desk on the table that he might write to Stephon. To think of the searchings we had !—in every nook and corner of the house, likely and unlikely !—and never remembered to effectually look in the pockets of that seedy old dressing-gown !” “Does Mary take anything under the new will?” asked Arminia, suddenly speaking for the first time. ‘““T believe so,” answered Dick. ‘‘One thing I know she takes; I remember that. She has all Aunt Charles’s jewels. ‘They are specially bequeathed to her.” ““Nonsense!” fired Aunt Paradox, getting her voiceup. “ My Cousin Jane’s jewels are not suitable for a child; they are unusually valuable. You must make a mistake, Richard ; you never saw the will, you know.” | “Just so; they are very valuable,” nodded Richard; ‘their value no doubt, caused Uncle Charles to make them a special bequest. Any way, they are Mary’s now. No, I never saw the will, as you observe ; I only heard of its contents from Stephon.” “Shall you stay on here now?” she continued. **T go up to-morrow.” ‘J suppose I must go with you,” said George Ryde, in a grumbling tone; “I have lots of matters to see to. But I shallsoon come down again. Very soon, my love,” he whispered to Mary. The new and legal will was proved without delay. With the exception of legacies to servants, Richard and Mary Damer came into nearly all the property. Aunt Paradox was in a distressing state; down in the depths of woe one hour, in a furious passion the next. But Richard Damer was not hard upon her. After keeping her a month in suspense, for punishment, he made over to her property which would bring her in five hundred a year ; the money to lapse in equal shares to her son and daughter at her death. And in due course of time—a short course and not a long one— there was a gay wedding at Hartley Manor, when Mary became the wife of George Ryde. GOGO SoC