Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

The Secret vegetation more dense. Ward walked be- side her, his head bent in deep thought. Every now and then he glanced up at her -and smiled to see the freer swing with which she carried herself and the brighter, clearer glance of her deep eyes. She had found re- lief in her talk with him; that much was very evident. Her shoulders were no longer stooped as they had been when he had seen ther coming toward him from Caprice, her feet no longer lagged dispiritedly. Even the lines of care and sleeplessness seemed smoothed. : “Vou look better,” he said, smiling at r. - She smiled back at him. “T feel better,’ she said. ‘Somehow, in spite of the awful things you have said, I have found comfort from you this morning. I have never had to bear burdens alone be- fore. I have always :-had my—my father to go to. Now my father is not here to act as my refuge, ‘but you seem somehow to have taken his place and you have inspired me with new confidence. I feel that I have a friend who will help, no matter what hap- pens.” “Ves,” said Ward, simply but with com- pelling earnestness, “no matter what hap- pens, I will help. Shall we walk inland a little farther? The underbrush is rather thick on the shore along here.” They turned in among the trees and walked slowly and in silence, each busy with the thoughts that their talk had brought to them. A hundred yards above the tents, they skirted a knoll that jutted out to the shore, falling in a steep bank of red clay straight to the water’s edge. They had passed it and were among the trees again when the sound of voices came to them from'behind the knoll. _ Involuntarily, both-stepped and listened. It was not with any idea of hearing what was being said, but rather a natural curiosity to know who it was who had wandered this far up the shore. It was Stephen Blaydon’s voice that was speaking. By the time they could distin- guish his words, he had apparently finished most of a sentence, but they could hear him distinctly say, ““— get myself into a hell of a mess.” And then Mrs. Herriot’s sharp voice answered him. Ward stiffened as he heard it and he saw Nellie clench her fists, and a quick look .of hate flashed into ‘her eyes. : = ee, -, Gm a > — r ee Da OO se ae eee ee ee o> SF Sa PN a ; 5 nn aoe < ee ie oe et A oe. a — =< pte oe on See a - = Pa A “a . = ase Z oe ‘, o- ee ~ 4 - —— > ~f ‘Clared friendship. gre ee Sr ts Oo oN eee ht Lt) GU Ae et ee ade x’ 4 Fg Say ee ee ig ee me -~ See =>) , of Caprice 57 “There ain’t a chance, if you handle it — right,” Mrs. Herriot said. “All you got to do is keep right on the way you're going.” “But, —— it all, Vi, Nellie’s acting so all-fired uppish lately I’m afraid I can’t handle her.”” Blaydon’s voice was almost a whine. ‘““Well—” the widow’s tone was one of fi- — nality — “you’ll put this through or you won't get -me. If I’m worth having, I’m worth doing this for.” “Aw, now, Vi!’ Blaydon was wheedling. “T mean it. You go through with it, and you can lead me right up to the nearest parson; but you get cold feet, and you can go ‘to the devil as far as I’m con- cerned.”’ | Their voices trailed off into meaningless sound as they strolled farther up the shore. Ward took an involuntary step after them with his fists clenched hard as though he intended an attack, but the girl beside him put her hand on his arm. Her touch brought him to his senses. He turned and looked at her. ‘Her face was as white as chalk, but there was no fear in her expression. Instead, her | eyes met his in a steady gaze of calm and ~— self-confident determination that showed that she was in complete possession of all her faculties. | “You must not follow,” she -said. would do no good. Let us go to the yacht.” He shrugged resignedly and, turning with her, walked silently at her side. Neither one spoke as they passed the tents and reached the side of Caprice. He helped her up the steps to the deck and there she stopped and faced him, her hand held out in a gesture of openly de- He took it in his and pressed her fingers in sympathy. “Thank you, my friend,” she said. “I am going below to rest and think for a while. But Iam going to accept one sug- gestion that you have made to me this morning.” “Which one is it?’’ Ward asked eagerly. “T am going to ask you to have Mr. Con- way and Mr. Greiner come at once to Sea View. I want to go over this whole case with you and with them. I shall then be in a position, I think, to tell-you more about -it than you know, and I shall ask you to prove whether you really meant that you would help, no matter what happens.”’ OOK (E@) ANCE “Tt W,) on as Py Mw Ys * ASG ta 1 gta tA ach aie a a Yee ) UA ste rare * rs A \ , if yk ne Ay We ae a x. » A rh errs: . “ “ 7 » & eae, CEE Lt fl