The Argosy — page 230: what you’re looking at

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

Featherston’s Story. 213 | devices. The gentleman opposite, whom I did not know, leaned forward and touched the card with the tip of his forefinger. Le cercueil, n’est-ce-pas ?” said he. “My !” whispered an English lad’s voice behind me. ‘‘ Cercueil ? | that means coffin.” ‘“ How did you know?” asked Signor Talcke of the grey-bearded man. “JT was at the Sous-Préfect’s soirée on Sunday evening when you were exhibiting. I heard you tell him in French that that was the ugliest card in the pack: indicating death.” “Well, it is not this lady the card is pursuing,” said the Signor smiling at Ann to reassure her. ‘‘ Not yet awhile, at least. And we must all be pursued by it in our turn, whenever that shall come,” he | added, bending over the cards again. ‘‘ Pardon me, madame—may I ask whether there has not been some unpleasantness in the house concerning money?” Nancy’s face turned red. ‘‘ Not—exactly,” she answered with hesitation. ‘‘ We are like a great many more people—not as rich as _we should wish to be.” “It does not appear to lie precisely in the want of money: but . certainly money is in some way connected with the evil,” he was be- ‘ginning to say, his eyes fixed dreamily on the cards, when Ann interrupted him. | “That is too strong a word—evil. Why do you use it?” _ “T use it because the evil is there. No lighter word would be |appropriate. There is some evil element pervading your house, very grave and formidable ; it is most threatening ; likely to go on to— to—darkness. I mean that it looks as if there would be some great break-up,” he corrected swiftly, as if to soften the other word. | “That the house would be broken up?” questioned Ann. He stole a glance at her. “Something of that sort,” he said carelessly. | ' “Do you mean that the evil comes from an enemy?” she went on. ‘ Assuredly.” 7 | _ “But we have no enemy. I’m sure we have not one in all the world,” | He slightly shook his head. ‘“‘ You may not suspect it yet, though T should have said ”—waving the pencil thoughtfully over some of the cards—‘ that he was already suspected—doubted.” Nancy took up the personal pronoun briskly. ‘‘ He!—then the evil enemy must be a man? _ I assure you we do not know any man likely to be our enemy or to wish us harm. No, nor woman either. Perhaps your cards don’t tell true to-night, Signor Talcke ?” “ Perhaps not, madame ; we will let it be so if you will,” he quietly said, and shuffled all the cards together. That ended the séance. As if determined not to tell any more a J ee —— a ne ieee ee ee ee — J ——— ‘ COMIC OOO ‘S (CO)