The Purple Fern

THE train to Crumel was late. Due at four o'clock, it failed to reach its destination, until ten minutes past the hour. This was not the fault of the branch-line authorities. Th...

"Well," answered the stout man, again tickling his chin. "I am not so sure of that. Humbug often succeeds, where merit fails. Perhaps," his little black eyes twinkled, "perhaps...

Next morning, Clarice and her brother were at breakfast together in a cheerful little octagon-shaped room, all enamelled white panels, delicately painted wreaths of flowers and...

The housekeeper of Mr. Horran's establishment was a small, withered-up old woman, who looked like the bad fairy of a D'Aulnoy story. She had nursed Clarice and Ferdy, and their...

There seemed to Clarice to be a familiar look about this representation of a fern. The double sheet of writing paper was thick and glossy, with untrimmed edges, and on this the...

On that same night the weather changed with unexampled rapidity from cold to warm. A thick mist descended on Crumel, and the snow began to melt, as though under the influence of...

Ackworth and Clarice looked at one another dumfounded, and Dr. Jerce, with considerable amazement, looked at them. Finally, the eyes of all three rested on the object picked up...

"From what I have seen of Mr. Horran," said Ackworth, quietly, "he does not appear to be ill. His colour is good, he eats well, and sleeps a lot. He has not lost flesh, and his...

Mr. Horran was as dead as a door nail. There could be no doubt about that. While Chalks shivered and wrung his hands in the middle of the room, demoralised and helpless, Clarice...

The Coroner, a stolid old country doctor of sixty, with a ruddy face, shrewd eyes, and a beard which would have done credit to a Christmas card Santa Claus, opened the proceedin...

Clarice quite intended to ask Ferdy what was the meaning of Zara's strange remark, but other things took up her attention, and for the time being she forgot the saying. As regar...

An astonished silence ensued. The lawyer's observation was so very unexpected, that no one knew exactly how to reply. Mr. Barras did not look like a man inclined to jest, being...

Dr. Jerce looked at Clarice with a lowering face, and his expressive eyes flashed with anger. He was a strong-willed man, accustomed to having his own way in the face of all obs...

The dead having been buried, and the will read, and the business arranged by Mr. Barras, with the assistance of Clarice, things settled down into the usual quiet jog-trot of exi...

In the dingy study an eloquent silence prevailed. After making her startling announcement, Prudence sat tearless, and with a drawn white face, plucking at the damp handkerchief...

Having thus quieted the overwrought vicar, Clarice took leave of poor Prudence. However, she left the girl in a much more cheerful frame of mind, as she asserted her belief in M...

Anthony looked apprehensively at Clarice, as she read the anonymous letter, for he quite expected that she would be greatly agitated, and had been rather afraid of showing it to...

Clarice sank back in her chair, as Jerce left the room, wondering if she had heard aright. Sir Daniel had certainly said in plain English that, failing the breaking of the engag...

In the noise of the applause which greeted Osip and Zara, the terrified whisper of Mrs. Dumps passed unnoticed. The girl naturally searched for her mother, and she smiled, on ca...

In that little room, with its vivid colouring and heavy scented atmosphere, the two women faced each other, bent upon battle. At the outset, the advantage lay with Zara, seeing...

Mrs. Rebson, being a woman, and fond of gossip, had her fair share of curiosity. Also she was anxious to hear what Clarice had been doing in London, and to know exactly how she...

The announcement of Ackworth was so terrible, and so unexpected, that Clarice could scarcely believe her ears. She knew that Frank Clarke was a rascal and extravagant, that he w...

The Shah's Rooms were the latest sensation of frivolous London, and had lasted for six months with undiminished success. The building contained a number of rooms, and entertainm...

The next day, late in the afternoon, Clarice sat in the drawing-room of The Laurels, waiting for the arrival of several people. It was a very wet day, and the rain beat drowsily...

Sir Daniel looked surprised when he heard Clarice's remark, and glanced from her to Ferdy. He saw that both brother and sister were white and troubled, but, feeling absolutely s...

Hardly had Sir Daniel Jerce disappeared, when Clarice dropped like a log to the ground. The strain had been too much for her, and for the second time in her life she fainted. An...