Adventure, February 1917 — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

Nobody’s Island And I wondered could she have had any- thing to do with it? I was in the house at the time, and I looked at her a lot, and that fixed her features on my mind, I suppose, because when 2s | “A moment. You thought the lady was hiding, and you came here as her guest to find out?” “Not that exactly. I “Oh, that’s good enough. And, being constantly with her, you watched your host-- ess, off her guard, and came to certain con- clusions?” “Yes,” said Harold doggedly. “You are a nice boy. I like the kind of boy you are—very cone ”” said the cap- tain. “And thene” “T sha’n’t tell you, if you make yourself . so —— un——”’ Captain Campbell reached out and took him gently by the scruff of the neck. “You will,” he said. “You will go on and tell me everything.”’ He shook him a very little; it felt like an elephant playing, with the imminent possi- bility of play dropping into earnest. “Will you give me the reward?” | ‘The thirty pieces of silver? If you fur- nish the information wanted, you shall have them.” He gave another shake, and let go. “Tt wasn’t thirty shillings, it was a thou- sand pounds!” “Right. My mistake. Go on.” “Well, I went on my dad’s ship again, and I couldn’t think who the picture he had pinned up on the bulkhead reminded me of, and then suddenly I thought of something.” “You thought of something?” “And I fixed the picture up—like this.” He displayed the mask with the bobbed hair sketched in. “And this is like Mrs. Slade—so?” asked Campbell, holding it in his hands. “Like? It’s her.” “Mrs. Slade,” mused Campbell. ‘There always was another man—old Godfrey used to say he’d a rival at the ends of the earth. who stood between. The ends of the earth —ah!” “But the evidence,”’ he thought, ‘‘proved that no stranger had been seen about the house. If she did it, she did it ‘on her own.’ Well, my angel boy, is that all?” “T went back again,’ said Harold, ‘‘be- cause dad had fever, and we had to stop of he till he was. better. .And I saw more of her.” _ “While she was nursing your father?” “Murua did quite as much for him.” . “Dear boy! And you went on with these clever guesses of yours?” OF “T said things — about people running - away, and people killing their nearest and dearest—and she couldn’ t look me in the face.” “(No wonder. And then?” _ “She took father’s schooner without by your leave or with your leave, and went off on a wild-goose chase with it.” “She borrowed your father’s ship and went to rescue her husband. It doesn’t sound like the kind of woman who would— but one never knows. Any more?”’ It was almost a bark. Harold answered hastily. “No, no more. —all right?” “Oh, yes, it’s enough to buy you your potter’s field if the thing turns out as it looks likely to. Take care you don’t go and hang yourself in the midst of it when you get it.” Isn’t it—isn’t it enough “T wish to complete my musical educa-_ tion,” said Harold with dignity. Campbell took not the slightest notice; he seemed to have sponged Harold off his mind with the last sentence. He called an inquiry to the engineer of the Diamond, who was coming up the beach. “Fixed the battery?” “Ves, sir.” 3 “She'll ‘bat’ all right now?” “Yes, she’s a beauty—she’ll make rings round the Diamond if you ask her.” “Good. Have her ready at one o’clock.” “‘And the Diamond, sir?” “That helper of yours can run her?” — “Yes, sir.’ “Send her off at once for Rossel Island to pick up the Resident Magistrate and his boys. Tell them to follow us to Jamieson Island.” “Very good, sir,” ing down the launch’s. dingey to ferry him- self out. He had the letters R. N. R. after his name, and it was meat and wine to him to hear a real officer command. Like the cap- tain, he took no notice of Harold. N obody seemed to be noticing Harold. He felt aggrieved. It entered into his head that he would sing—some of his best things, with high notes and runs—just an absent- minded burst of warbling, as if... (e(0) IOoOk mile said the engineer, shov- | (E@)