Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

The Secret “Ves,” he admitted, “but I had not the remotest idea that it would involve my friendship for Phil Conway. I will stick by him, Miss Blaydon, first, last and all the time. A friendship like this comes only once in a man’s life and it is too precious to be lightly cast aside.” She nodded slowly. 3 “Ves,” she said. “I must agree with yo and I admire you for your choice. It would, perhaps, be of little use to tell you that this misfortune, however, does not raise the question of such a decision. In other words, you would probably not believe me if I were to tell you that I have had no idea that Mr, Conway was to be molested in any way, that I have not the slightest inkling as to this dark man’s identity; that this whole thing is as completely a surprise to me as it is to you.” His eyes searched hers deeply for some hidden sign of deception, but he found none. “You are willing, then, to assure me that the men in this camp down the shore have had nothing to do with it?” he asked. She hesitated, visibly perplexed. “No,” she said slowly. “I am not in a position to say that. You yourself have showed me a maze of lying and deceit about me that makes me uncertain of anything or anybody. I am so completely at a loss to- understand Uncle Stephen’s recent actions that I can not even guess what he may have done. I had hoped—”’ she faltered a moment and her lip trembled — “TI had hoped that you would guide me.” ‘The pathos of her voice went to his heart. It was an unintentional rebuke for his de- sertion of her in her need, and he felt it keenly. “Miss Blaydon,” he said slowly, ‘‘I hope you will not misunderstand me in what I have said. You must realize that, as a man, I must be true to my friend, and, when that friend is in danger, cast everything aside to go to his defense. You must realize that, in the light of the half-knowledge that I have about you and about those men down there, I can not be blamed for being brutal for my friend’s sake. But if you assure me that you have had nothing to do with this attack upon him—that you did not even know it was to take place and that you can not imagine who has instigated it— then it assumes a very different aspect.” eh smiled wanly, as if she were very tired. en ee 67 “TI cam imagine who has instigated it,” she said. “If Uncle Stephen and Mrs. Her- riot are the fiends that you have led me to believe, I can easily imagine why they should want to get Mr. Conway out of the way.” 3 “Then you think that they have planned ie “T do not know what to think. I am willing to do anything that you suggest to of Caprice _ prove or disprove your suspicions of them, for I feel as though I should go mad with the thoughts that you have started in my mind.”’ He glanced up sharply. “Vou are willing to do anything that I suggest?’ he repeated. Her eyes met his unflinchingly. “Yes,” she said impressively; ‘‘anything.”’ “Very well.” His tone was quiet, as if her words had made his course easier for him. “TI will ask you to get ready at once to fly with me down the shore to that camp, to enter it as if you were still on friendly terms with its occupants and to find out for me whether they have any information about Phil Conway. Will you do that?” For a moment there was the merest hint of indecision in her look, but she conquered it. ““Ves,”’ she said, ‘I will. I do not know what the result will be, for I am beginning to think that those men and Uncle Stephen are working together against me. If they are, my intrusion may have serious conse- quences for me, but rather than have you think that I have done the things you so evidently suspect, I will go.” ‘You need not be afraid,” he assured her. ‘“‘When you enter the camp, I shall be with- in a very few feet of you and the first man who raises a hand to touch you will die be- fore he can take a step. I am a good shot and I shall be so close that a miss will be most unlikely.” She nodded confidently. “T shall not be afraid,” she said. ‘Shall we start at once?” He gave her some directions as to what she should wear, and she went aboard the yacht while he hurried to the tent to over- haul the aeroplane. As he wheeled the big _ machine out and down the sandy slope to the waters of the cove, he found himself completely baffled at this new turn of af- fairs. : : He had started with the firm determina- NiGboOoks (E@) (E@)