A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, December 1949 — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

_ of a wasp. At half past eleven I bade _ good-by to Helen at Lowell’s door. I asked: “How about tomorrow?” — She said: “All right—if you can.” I asked: “Why the devil couldn’t 1?” She said: “This day’s over, Alan. — You'll not be rid of Dahut so easily.” I started to answer; she stopped me. “You _ don’t know how much I love you. Prom- _ ise me—if you need me . . . come to me +... at any time... in any—shape!” I caught her in my arms: “In any s _ what the devil do you mean by that?” _ She drew my head down, pressed her _ lips to mine—savagely, tenderly, passion- ' ately all in one—for long. She thrust me _ from her and I saw that she was crying. She threw open the door, then turned. Bigs don’t know how much I love you ” _. She closed the door. I went down to the waiting cab and rode to the Club, cursing the Demoiselle more comprehen- ' sively than I had since ancient Ys—if and when that had been. McCann hadn’t ar- rived, but a telegram had. It was from _ Dahut, and said: THE YACHT WILL BE WAIT- ING FOR YOU AT THE LARCH- MONT CLUB AT NOON TO- _ . MORROW. HER NAME _ IS __BRITTIS. I WILL MEET YOU. SINCERELY HOPE YOU WILL COME PREPARED FOR INDE- FINITE STAY. Well, that was that. I did not miss the _ nuance of the name, nor the mockery in ' that “indefinite stay.” Helen was reality, - . and Dahut was shadow. But I knew that now shadow had become the true reality. _ With a sinking of the heart, with fore- _ boding against which I raged, impotently, _ with sorrow for Helen as though I were _ hidding her farewell forever, with bitter _ hatred against this woman who was so _ half-contemptuously summoning me—lI a knew that I could do nothing but obey her. aS CHAPTER 14 Be Voyage of the Brittis ] HAD one of my valises packed when ée s ana _ § McCann was announced. He squinted & at it with surprise. “You ain’t going away tonight, Doc?” Ss pln? CREEP, SHADOW! 3 - With sudden impulse toward frankness, e000 —lC EE ——— ——E ltt I pushed over to him the Demoiselle’s telegram. He read it stolidly; looked up. — “This just come? Thought you told Doc Bennett you'd already had an invitation.” “This,” I explained patiently, “is mere- ly a confirmation of an engagement previ- ously made, setting a definite time for one left indefinite before—as you will see if you read it over again carefully.” I began to pack the other valise. McCann reread the telegram, watched me silently for a while, then said mildly: “Doc Bennett had one of them shad- ders trailing him, didn’t he?” I turned to him sharply. “What makes you think that?” He went on, as though he had not heard me: “An’ he lost it down here with you, didn’t he?” “McCann,” I said, “you’re crazy. What gave you that idea?” : He sighed, and said: “When you an’ him was arguing about you going down an’ setting in with this de Keradel I got a mite led. But when I see this tele- gram, I ain’t puzzled no more. I get the answer.” “Fine,” I said, and resumed packing. “What is it?” He said: “You traded something for Doc Bennett’s shadder.” I looked at him and laughed. “You’ve grand ideas, McCann. What have I to trade, and with whom and for what?” McCann sighed again, and put a finger on the Demoiselle’s name. “With her—” He pointed to the “indefinite stay” and said : “An’ you traded this for his shad- der,’ “McCann,” I went over to him. “He did think a shadow was following him. But that may have been only because he has been thinking too much about this whole queer matter. And he has much the same idea as you about how he was relieved of the—obsession. I want you to promise me that you will say nothing of your suspicions to him—and especially nothing to Miss Helen. If one or the other should speak to you about it, do your best to discourage the notion. I have good rea- sons for asking this—believe me I have, Will you promise?” He asked: “Miss Helen don’t know nothing about it yet?” Comicbooks * > Os a -. <a ae — —~— ~~ _ sac's ~ ee. oe Yn 4 ” . ee - a gg a a. ~ ns rie ya = , — = — oe a <i _— * — —_ = ait > = ~ Pe > c= << 7 J “~ =. -. : = > —_— =% on Sen ~~ <a. 2 _ com