The Argosy, Vol. 57

# The Grey Monk

This serialized story by the author of "The Mysteries of Heron Dyke" appears in Argosy, February 1894 (Chapter V). The narrative follows Alec Clare, heir to Withington Chase, who has estranged himself from his father and now operates a horse-breeding business in Pineapple City, Michigan, under the assumed name "John Alexander." After a chance encounter with his old college acquaintance Denis Boyd at the railway station, Alec reflects on his failed marriage to Giovanna Rispani, a woman who married him for his money and now despises their humble American circumstances. He has left his wife and child behind while seeking to rebuild his fortune. A week's business journey to Milwaukee becomes complicated when Alec receives a mysterious black-edged letter from his wife, suggesting calamitous news. The narrative technique employs suspense through withheld revelation.