Adventure Magazine Cover — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

854 ciphering those Gothic inscriptions did him more good than all my care has done for him in months. But then the disappoint- ment at the end of the labor, the impossi- bility of following out the instructions and going treasure-hunting, set him back again. And what with that and the incarceration of these last few days, he is bored to death and insists that he wants to go back to New York at once.”’ “That would be very bad for him?”’ Her upturned face had seemed to mirror his every word. ‘Nothing could be worse,” said Berwind. Her eyes wandered from his and lingered on the silver bell. And then she turned and walked the width of the cabin away from him. He almost smiled to see how seaman- like was her gracefulness in accommodating her step to the harsh pitching of the ship. When at last she turned and came back to him she had a new color in her cheeks. “You will think this a very silly suggestion, I am sure,” she said. And he thought it was in anticipation of his amusement that she flushed. ‘‘But since you do think it important father should stay up here, and since there is nothing in this direction to interest him, why don’t we——”’ she broke off with a little nervous laugh. ‘You will think that I am an idiot!” she said. ‘Do go on,” said Berwind, watching her. ‘““Well, he was so interested in the bell, as you say. And he did seem so like his old self. Do you think, Dr. Berwind, that I can see flashes of that old self, which was so fine and so dear to me, and not catch at every impossible suggestion of a way to keep it always with him?” ‘But go on!” said Berwind again. “Then why not put about and go to the Vatna ourselves? After all, we only gave Adventure up the idea because—because Mr. Stuart said the place was changed. I think I would vastly rather see the ‘accursed place’ as it is now, turning slowly to solid ice, than when it was blooming like any Westchester farm. And it might interest father, might it not? He could study over the silver bell some more and, perhaps, when we get there we could stay a week or so and egg him on to hunt for the place where they buried the treasure. It would keep him out in the air and exercising.”” She hesitated a moment, and her color was not fading in the least. “Do you think it a very stupid idea? Surely it would be better than this?” Berwind took her hand unexpectedly and shook it manfully. ‘I think it is a capital notion!” he said. ‘As you say, it is cer- tainly more sensible than boring him to death. Shall I suggest it to him? Or will your”’ She turned away a little again. ‘Oh, I would rather you spoke to him about it,”’ she said. “It is a capital notion,” repeated Ber- wind, pulling out his watch. ‘“‘I will talk with him about it now. He isin his cabin and it wants just ten minutes to the hour for his medicine.’ He made his way, lurching, to the door as he was speaking. But there he turned back with his wonder- ful smile. ‘Another pleasing part of it is that Stuart went on to the Vatna and though I don’t know just how much chance of it there is, we might encounter him. I don’t know where I’ve met a man I liked so well as Stuart.” “Really?” said Nora Lee indifferently. But her unusual color was even a trifle higher and she remained standing with her back turned to him, intently examining the surface of the bell. 9) TO BE CONTINUED C© MICLOOOKS (©