The Argosy — page 198: what you’re looking at

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

The Village Blacksmith. 181 dismay the room was empty. She hastily searched the rest of the upstairs rooms, but in vain; no Vera was there. She called her ; no response ; she went downstairs and looked in all the rooms there ; but no Vera was to be found. Her garden hat hung in the hall, so it was not probable she was there. She rang the drawing-room bell and inquired if any of the servants knew where Miss Vera was, The butler did not ; he had not seen her since the morning ; but he would make inquiries of the other servants. He did so, and returned to say no one knew where Miss Tempest was. She had ordered Mary to take her luncheon to her in her own sitting-room, but Mary had not seen her since she gave this order at about eleven o'clock. ‘* Perhaps she has gone into the village,” suggested the butler. “Impossible ; she has left her hats all at home ; she must be in the house somewhere. Sound the gong for luncheon, perhaps that will bring her; and ask the policemen into the study,” said Mrs. Ryot-Tempest, beginning to fear her prey might escape her after all. She did not think it possible Vera could have left the house, but she thought she was probably hiding in some out-of-the-way corner, and as there were many good hiding-places in the rambling old house it was just possible she might succeed in concealing her- self until the Archdeacon returned unless a very strict search were made. The policemen were now consulted, and by their advice the servants were all questioned separately as to when and where they had last seen Miss Vera. While Mrs. Ryot-Tempest and one police man conducted this inquiry, Mark Brown and the other searched first the house from attic to basement, then the stables, and finally the garden, but not a trace of Vera was to be seen. The inquiry among the servants proved equally futile. All that was elicited was that Mary had met one of the nuns from the convent, who occasionally called on Vera, going downstairs from Miss Vera’s sitting-room about twelve o’clock. She had not let her in. She believed Miss Vera went to the door herself, as no doubt she saw the nun coming from her window. “She must be at the convent, then; no doubt she went out with the nun, only Mary refuses to confess she saw her. Let Mark go down to the convent and inquire if she is there,” said Mrs. Tempest. This errand was a work after Mark’s own heart, and he lost no time in performing it, but it proved fruitless. The nuns had not seen Vera for some weeks. She very rarely went to the convent as her father disapproved of her going there, and what was still more strange none of the nuns had been out that day, so it was quite impossible Mary could have seen one of them. Mary persisted in her story ; she was certain she had seen a nun go down the staircase. If it was not a living nun it was a ghost; and to celebrate the visit of so rare CORDNICLIOO cS (SO)