The Argosy — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

A Tragedy. 127 grey hair. He sat down at his own desk-table; Mr. Preen drew his chair so as to face him, and the affair was thoroughly gone into. It cannot be denied that the experienced man of law, knowing how difficult it was to Mr. Preen to find money for his debts and his needs, had allowed some faint doubt to float within him in regard to this reported loss. Was it a true lossPp—or an invented one? But old Paul read people’s characters, as betrayed in their tones and faces, tolerably well; he saw that Preen was in desperate earnest, and he began to believe his story. “Let me see,” said he. ‘‘ You posted it on Tuesday, the fifteenth. You found it was too late for that night’s post, and would not go off until the morrow morning, when, as Dame Sym says, she despatched it. Then we ought to have received it that afternoon—Wednesday, the sixteenth.” | “Yes,” assented Mr. Preen. ‘Mrs. Sym wished to respectfully suggest to you, Paul, that you might have overlooked it amidst the other letters at the time it was delivered, and let it drop unseen into some drawer or desk.” Oh, she did, did she?” cried old Paul, while Tom Chandler laughed. ‘‘ Give my respects to her, Preen, and tell her I’m not an old woman. We don’t get many letters in an afternoon, sometimes not any,” he went on. ‘‘Can you carry your memory back to that Wednesday afternoon, Chandler P” ‘““T daresay I shall be able to do so,” replied Tom. ‘‘ Wednesday, the sixteenth Was not that the day before the picnic at Aunt Cramp’s?”’ “What on earth has the picnic to do with it?” sharply demanded Mr. Preen. ‘‘All you young men are alike. Oliver could only remember the date of my posting the letter by recalling that of the picnic. You should be above such frivolity.” Tom Chandler laughed. ‘‘I remember the day before the picnic for a special reason, sir. MacEveril asked for holiday that he might gotoit. Itold him he could not have the whole day, we were too busy, but perhaps he might get half of it; upon which he said half a day was no good to him, and gave me some sauce. Yes, that was Wednesday, the sixteenth; and now, having that landmark to go by, I may be able to trace back other events and the number of letters which came in that afternoon.” “Is MacEveril back yet ?” asked Preen. “No,” replied Paul. ‘The captain does not know where he 1s; no one does know, that I’m aware of. Look here, Preen; as this letter appears to be really lost, aad very unaccountably, since Mrs. Sym is sure she sent it off, and I am sure it was never delivered to me, I shall go to our office here now, and inquire about it. Will you come with me ?” Mr. Preen was only too glad to go to any earthly place that was likely to afford news of his ten-pound note, for the loss would be his comicboao SS (©) im