Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

a, ee > pfs The Secret of C aprice “Oh, well now!” Stephen Blaydon again flushed and his tone took on its bluster once more. ‘‘Nothing’s going to happen. Those beach-comber fellows won’t bother you again. I’ll take care to see to that as soon as I get to Sea View. And I’ll probably send for Nellie to come to New York any- how in a couple of days—as soon as I get the worst of the tangle straightened out. But just at present, it’s better for her to - stay here.” He paused again, waiting for Ward to answer, but, meeting once more the silence which made him so restive, cast another furtive glance at the girl, and the dark color mounted to his cheeks. “T’ll get Carl Loder to take us up to Sea View in the tender, if you don’t mind,” he resumed. ‘We couldn’t stand the trip in your aeroplane, neither of us. You under- stand—the shock and all that. Sort of unnerves a fellow for that kind of thing. It’s nice and smooth today and the tender will get us there before dark.” “Too bad Drummond isn’t back with the automobile,” said Fenton. “Ves; by the way, he’s gone a long time. Fancy your wire caught Conway out of town or something. Don’t worry. I'll look Drummond up in Sea View and hunt up Phil when I get to New York. You won’t mind sparing Carl for the rest of the day, will your” “Not at all. We are in need of supplies and he can do our marketing for us.” “Just what I was going to suggest my- self. Nellie needs a lot of stuff, too. Nel- lie, you make out a list for Carl, will you, and I’ll go on up to the tents and get this fellow to rush my answer to Carter. Devil of a mess, it is—devil of a mess!’ He went fuming down the steps to the sand, leaving them together on the deck. Ward watched him make his way up the shore and in among the trees, and then turned to the girl. . Apparently she had not moved. She still stood there, her steady eyes fixed on the broad back of her uncle, but now Ward thought he saw her lips curled in a look very like contempt. He took a step toward her, and the action roused her from her thoughts. In an instant her whole expres- sion changed. She cast a quick glance at the -cabins as though she had heard something, flashed him a look of warning and then said in the most natural tone imaginable, 61 “It is very good of you to stay with me here, Mr. Fenton. I shall be bad company, I am afraid, for the shock of this awful news about my father has left me too numb- ed for clear thought.” As she spoke, she pointed to the-cabin and made a gesture that told him as plain- ly as words that some one was listening to them. He nodded in quick understanding and replied in perfunctory words, to which she responded in the same manner. But, as she was speaking, Ward tiptoed softly over the cabin-top and, reaching a point of vantage, glanced down through one of the windows in the trunk. What he saw made him straighten up again instant- ly. Mrs. Herriot was crouched below the window nearest Nellie Blaydon, her attitude one of tense listening. She could hear every word that was being spoken on the deck though she could not see the speakers. He tiptoed back again cautiously, giving Nellie a nod that told her that her suspi- cions had been confirmed. The girl’s eyes darkened with fine scorn, but the tone of her voice did not change so much as a shade to give the eavesdropper a hint of her emo- ~ tion. Instead, she continued the conversa- tion as if nothing had happened, enumer- ating the things that would be needed aboard the yacht for the next few days. “But I had better give you a list,’ she said, “Wait a moment; I will write it. Have youa pencil?” : He took one from his pocket and handed it to her. . “LET me see,” she mused, writing rapidly. —flour, oh—?- as if the thought of such material things were too much of a burden under -her calamity—“‘you know the other things that are needed. I can not think of them now.” = She rose and handed the paper to him. “I must go below and rest,” she said. “I must lie down for a while until I can think more Clearly.” _ She paused and listened. From the cabin below they heard a rustling sound and then a door forward closed almost noiselessly. Again the girl’s curved lips showed her con- tempt. She stepped toward him and held out her hand, “Butter — eggs—potatoes - “Thank you—thank you!” she said tense- — ly. Then pointing to the paper she had given him, she said, “Look over my list,” AANIG 006) <S (So) ee = fi Leos rt} J Ae ff, dy rr aS PPS att Pele ee ep Te n= a 3 = oy c. a 4 com Lat Pate 3 sh 24> a P ' ‘ : } - spre BAN : “5 sb : ’ i iM ; : : ‘ih hae J +" ik a me te he 3 als rie 1". Sh hale