The Argosy — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

The Story of Charles Strange. 83 All night I lay awake, tormented on the score of Tom Heriot. Now looking at the worst side of things, now trying to see them at their best, the hours dragged along, one after the other, until daybreak. In spite of Leah’s statement and her own certainty in the matter, my mind refused to believe that the sailor she had seen could be Tom. Tom was inconceivably daring; but not daring enough for this. He would have put on a more complete disguise. At least, I thought so. But if indeed it was Tom—why, then there was no hope. He would inevitably be recaptured. And this meant I knew not what of heavier punishment for himself; and for the rest of us further exposure, reflected disgrace and mental pain. Resolving to go myself at night and reconnoitre, I turned to my day’s work. Inthe course of the morning a somewhat curious thing happened. The old saying says that “ In looking for one thing you find another,” and it was exemplified in the present instance. I was searching Mr. Brightman’s small desk for a paper that I thought might be there, and, as I suppose, accidentally touched a spring, for the lower part of the desk suddenly loosened, and I found it had a false bottom to it. Lifting the upper portion, I found several small deeds of importance, letters and other papers; and lying on the top of all was a small packet, inscribed ‘‘ Lady Clavering,” in Mr. Bright- man’s writing. No doubt the letters she was uneasy about, and which I had hitherto failed to find. But now, what was I to do? Give them back to her? Well no, I thought not. At any rate, not until I had glanced over them. Their being in this secret division proved the importance attaching to them. Untying the narrow pink ribbon that held them together, there fell out a note of Sir Ralph Clavering’s, addressed to Mr. Brightman, It was dated just before his death, and ran as follows: ‘I send you the letters I told you I had discovered. Read them, and keep them safely. Should trouble arise with her after my death, confront her with them. Use your own discretion about showing them or not to my nephew Edmund. But should she acquiesce in the just will I have made, and when all things are settled on a sure foundation, then destroy the letters, unseen by any eye save your own: I do not wish to expose her needlessly. R. C.” Lady Clavering had not acquiesced in the will, and she was still going on with her threatened and most foolish action. I examined the letters. Some were written Zo her ; not by her husband, though ; some were written 4y her: and, take them for all in all, they were about as damaging a serles as any it was ever my fate to see. “The senseless things these women are!” thought I. ‘How on earth came she to preserve such letters as these P” I sent a messenger for Sir Edmund Clavering. Mr. Brightman was to use his own discretion: I hardly thought any was left to me. connicloooks (C(O)