Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

The Secret of “Caprice” feverishly as he realized it. She must have known what he meant. Yet she was not un- willing to hear it. He saw the nervous clasping of her hands and the lines that her sorrow had left upon her, and again he cursed himself inwardly for even hinting at his own feelings when she was undergoing such torture of spirit. He fell in with her new mood at once. “We can find out by long-distance phone,” he said. “TI will call up Greiner’s apartments. They will know whether he has left. He could not have come down here without putting at least a few things in a stip, and his man will be able to tell me.’ She went with him down the broad stairs to the basement where the ’phone booths and exchange were located. Carl came in while they were waiting at the desk, and Ward, taking him aside out of ear-shot of the girl in charge, explained to him briefly his discovery of Greiner’s telegram and his fears of what it meant. listened soberly. His wonted gleam of pleasurable excitement was gone. “‘Gee, Chief!” he said. “It’s getting close, isn’t it? I can easy see that we’re next.” “T am glad you realize it,” Ward said. “T thought you ought to have this opportunity to duck while there is time. You can get a train in an hour and make connections at the junction for New York or wherever you want to go. I will give you what money you need.” Carl turned upon him a pair of eyes in which he saw anger burning for the first time. “‘There’s no reason why we should talk about it any more,” Carl said impatiently. “I’m going to stick with you whether you like it or not. Now if you want to fire me, fire and be ——,, but I’ll be with you when they come for you, and they'll have to get me first.” Ward choked back a lump that persisted in rising in his own throat as he saw how he had wounded the mechanician. “Come here, Carl,” he said and laid his arm gently across Loder’s back. “I ought not to let you do it, but Isuppose I shall have to. I won’t tell you how much I appreciate your spirit. Some day, if we get out of this all right, I will. But at present, there is ~work for both of us and, if you want to stick and face it, we'll fight side by side. Is that satisfactory?” 6 he said. ~The mechanician — 81 “Yes,”’ said Carl grudgingly. ‘That’s what we were going to do anyhow, whether it was satisfactory or not; but you needn’t have tried to give me my walking papers. What do you want me to do?” “T don’t know yet. Wait until I talk to New York. The girl is calling me now.” He entered the booth to which the opera- tor directed him and talked for several min- utes. When he finally emerged, the frown of anxious thought on his brow told its own story. Nellie and Carl stood waiting at a safe distance from the listening girl and he joined them at once. “The telegram was evidently genuine,” “I talked to Greiner’s man. Grei- ner left early this morning, saying he was going south for a few days to'’see Mr. Con- way on important business.” Nellie Blaydon gave a gasp of horror. “He is coming to his death!”’ she exclaim- “They'll be ‘there at Hackett’s to meet him,” said Carl. ‘“They’ll say they are from Mr. Conway, sent to take him to him and they’ll lead him in there among the woods and the mountains and that will be the end. Boss, you let me take care of the Greiner end of this thing, will you? You’ve got your hands full now if you’re going to make that flight tonight.” Ward nodded slowly. “T believe that will be the best division of © the work,” he agreed. ‘I must locate the camp of these other men. Once we know definitely where they are, we can make ar- rangements to round them up.” “Why can not we get the authorities to go with us tonight?” the girl demanded. “Why do you have to subject yourself to such risks alone?” — + But Ward shook his head. ' “Vou forget,” he reminded her. “There is not a single definite charge that we can bring against these men; not a valid reason that we could give the authorities for inter- fering.” : “They have murdered my father,” she said bitterly, the great tears welling up into her eyes. “Ves,” Ward agreed gently. “You and I know that, but we can not furnish the one thing most necessary before we can claim the help of the law.” - “What is that?” she asked. “Legal proof that your father is dead,” i said. ‘Nothing can be done until we get 1 ~ . ; ) , £5 ee au b 7 ‘ AY Via? 4 bet e ¥ ish % whe! Fy het + ; X J eli, Vi, Vip GEomichbooks €O b Pw re ye eM Ves ‘ Pi io ote peeks . Mg : Se Ae rea PS INE TR me we Ae Oe Wee, oe Os es Vie ie) ee i Mcp ate of a h ot a eth b OW ate ©