Argosy All-Story Weekly, 4 February 1922 — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

oe ‘it “stood a tin despatch box filled with pa- ~ ‘pers, and a litter of torn letters overflowed = a small waste-paper basket beside her. Evidently Aunt Anna was destroying ~~ things which she did not care to leave be- _ hind her, and it might be that she did know she was going to die. Her silver- bound spectacles bestrode her nose, and she looked over them at Loraine as the latter crossed the room to her side. Yin and Nanky Poo rose simultaneously from '_. their satin cushions at her feet, and made -.. @ noisy and inhospitable rush at Loraine. “Take the little darlings away, Els- : peth,” said Mrs. Dundas. “Mrs. Tremlett ns doesn’t like them.” = Loraine certainly did not like them. They frightened her with their snappy lit- _ tle jaws and goggly eyes, but on this oc- -easion she tried to nerve herself to pat their heads. They slithered away from her and took whining refuge in Elspeth’s “Tt isn’t really that I don’t like them,” Loraine said apologetically, “only they __. tome at me with such a rush. It terrifies coe me.” be “Humph!” ejaculated Aunt Anna. = “ Dogs know when they’re liked and when _ they’re not. You used to make a great i. fuss over them at one time—but in that you’ve changed as in other things. Why ‘have you taken the trouble to come and see me? Heard I was on my death-bed, rhaps?”’ “Dear Aunt Anna, I heard that you were ill,” Loraine protested. “‘ You make it very hard for me to show my natural feelings. Can’t we be friends? I’m not | very well, myself—” - ““You’re a wreck,” Mrs. Dundas said critically. “I would never have believed that money could change a woman so much. Well, you know you’re not going to get any of mine, don’t you?” “Oh, how can you speak of such things!” fe Loraine was on the verge of tears be- 2a tween nervousness and vexation. Elspeth had said that Mrs. Dundas was very weak, but there seemed to be no sign of such a sad state of affairs. She was certainly —— = enough to make herself disagreeable. ASTRAY ae) G4 ly ‘with the task of doing it. much do I = you?” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Loraine wondered how the real Amy had managed to endure her. “TI hear that Peter Tremlett’s been try- ing to borrow,” she went on relentlessly, “and I’m not surprised, the way the two of you’ve been spending. I may be chair- ridden, but I get to hear things.” “No doubt Elspeth keeps you well in- formed,” Loraine said angrily. “It is quite true that Peter has made some un- lucky investments, and for the moment we're rather hard up. A few thousands would tide him over, and it seems rather hard that he can’t ask a bank to lend him something without the news spreading all over Witcham.” “Are you thinking of asking me?” de- manded Aunt Anna. “Certainly not,” Loraine replied, with a catch in her voice. ‘“ Only—it is hard.” She began to weep, but tried to restrain herself. Mrs. Dundas reached out a shaking hand and took a legal looking document from the despatch box. It had a slightly faded look and unfolded stiffly. Dabbing her dripping eyes, Loraine caught a glimpse of the heading in big engraved capitals: *“* Will and Testament.” It could not be a recently made will. The old woman attempted to tear the document across, but her hands were fee- ble and the stout parchment resisted de- struction by this method. . “Ring for Elspeth,” she panted. “TI need my drops. There’s something gone queer with me all of a sudden.” Loraine hesitated. From the direction of the woman’s glance she felt sure that Mrs. Dundas wanted that old document put into the fire, but would not trust her A wild notion came ino her head that it would be to her own disadvantage if that document were destroyed; but obviously not to Elspeth’s. “T can give you your medicine,” she said, deadly calm. The situation seemed to be in her hands, although she had not the least idea what it was, and she was ‘keyed to the highest pitch of determina- tion to control it. “ Where are the drops, Aunt Anna? In this little boaee? How oO com SS) Eboo