The Argosy — page 127: what you’re looking at

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rie Featherston’s Story. Miss Preen felt a little shaken. ‘Was Ann alone?” ‘No; she was with Captain Fennel.” And, with that, a suspicion of the truth and the full horror of it dawned upon Lavinia Preen. She grasped Madame Cardiac’s arm and turned white as death. “Tt never can be,” she whispered, her lips trembling; ‘‘it never can be! She cannot have—have—run away—with that man!” Unconsciously perhaps to herself, her eyes were fixed on Charles. He thought the question was put to him, and answered it. ‘* Well—I—I’m afraid it looks like it, as she seems to have said nothing to you,” he slowly said. ‘‘ But I give you my word, Miss Preen, that until this moment that aspect of the matter never suggested itself to me. I supposed they were just going up the line together for some purpose or other; though in fact I hardly thought about it at all.” “And perhaps that is all the mystery!” interposed Madame Cardiac briskly. ‘‘ He may have taken Ann to Drecques for a little jaunt, and they will be back again by the last train. It must be almost due, Lavinia.” With one impulse they turned to the station, which was near at hand. Drecques, a village, was the first place the trains stopped at on the up-line. The passengers were already issuing from the gate. Standing aside until all had passed, and not seeing Nancy anywhere, Charley Palliser looked into the omnibuses, But she was not there. ‘They may have intended to come back and missed the train, Miss Preen; it’s very easy to miss a train,” said he in his good: nature. “T think it must be so, Lavinia,” spoke up Madame Cardiae. ‘Anyway we will assume it until we hear to the contrary. And, Charley, we had better not talk of this to-night.” “I won't,” answered Charley earnestly. ‘‘ You may be sure of me.” _ Unless Captain Fennel and Miss Ann Preen chartered a balloon, there was little probability of their reaching Sainteville that evening, for this had been the last train. Lavinia Preen passed a night of dis- comfort, striving to hope against hope, as the saying runs. Nota very wise saying; it might run better striving to hope against despair. When Sunday did not bring back the truants, or any news of them, the three in the secret, Mary Cardiac, Lavinia and Charley Palliser, had little doubt that the disappearance meant an elopement. M. Jules Cardiac, not easily understanding such an escapade, so little m accordance with the customs and manners of his own country, said, in his wife’s ear, he hoped it would turn out that there was a marriage in the case. | COIN (9) . os booksecom