The Argosy, Vol. LXXV

About this issue

This August 1902 issue of The Argosy opens with John Hatnam's poem "Latter Rain," followed by Chapter XX of "Malicious Fortune" by Stella M. During. This serial concerns a complex domestic drama involving Charles Colquhoun's near-fatal shooting and its aftermath. Carstairs, visiting the household, harbors guilt over a past transgression and seeks Helen's forgiveness while she struggles with conflicting assessments of his character. The chapter culminates with the arrival of the suspect Braithwaite, who defends himself against suspicion in L'Estrange's death, claiming he never visited him that night despite being in the area. Philip Beresford believes him, though the case remains unsolved. Comic relief arrives via Dickie Tiark's charades about Greek islands (Delos, Samos, Abydos), which finally elicit laughter from the tense household. The chapter ends with mysterious visitors requesting Braithwaite's presence.