Adventure Magazine Cover, October 1911 — page 194: what you’re looking at

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

II40 man might have believed that you urged your wolves to attack him—any man but me. But I could not understand. I, too, was stunned, I think. I turned to leave the room just as Gregg came in to ask about some things. I talked with Gregg—I had decided nothing as yet, and I dared not let Gregg suspect. When I turned again to the window you were gone—nobody was in sight. I came out and saw the turf all torn and stained. I found nothing but a tuft of wolf-hair here and there on a patch of gorse near by. Those I removed. “T went back to my house, not daring to think. Remember what I was mad enough tofear [had seen That night Gregg and I cut theturf. Took it and dropped it in the bog. I could trust Gregg. I did not come to No-Man’s Court, but I hoped you might send for me. Then Waynill, the detective, chanced along, and since then I have never lost sight of him. I watched him come near the truth—for he found the locket but did not recognize you from it—but I think he will learn no more. “For my own peace I made inquiries, too. I had heard the story of Boy Lovell once, vaguely. It was when I bought pictures of your father. And I had inquired as to what had become of Mary Morant. I am expecting a final letter from Vienna even yet, but that will tell me nothing that I do not now know.” “Then you believe?’”’ There was hope and a sort cf glad wonder in her voice. ‘“Believc! Ah, you shame me—I came so near to doubting ‘af She moved blindly toward him, reaching. “Thank God! Thank God!” she sobbed, and Torrance’s arms were round her at last. I heard a snarl and whirled round. The big wolf was half in ‘the air, springing at Torrance. The brute was not two yards from me. I pressed my trigger not an instant too soon. He dropped, snarling, biting at the ground. Believe that I blessed my pistol practise then. The remaining three crouched back, glaring up with blaz- ing cyes. I heard the Princess say some- thing sharply—it all happened quick as light—and I picked them off one by one. ‘Quite time they were dead,” I heard myself say, inasmall,scared voice. “‘They’re not safe, you know. First Stark, then Way- nill, then you *? One was kicking a bit still and I put another bullet through him. I hated the brutes so that I could have Adventure riddled them. Then my fear suddenly left me and I turned. The disgraceful taste of the thing I had said struck me then,— ‘First Stark’—and I turned, very humbly, to the Princess. But she smiled wanly through the twilight. Her hand was in Torrance’s. “Pardon, Princess ” I mumbled. “Please say nothing, my friend,’ her voice sounded sweet with gratitude. ‘The folly was mine—to bring them. And you have given me his life!”’ Torrance gripped my hand hard over the little pistol. So we stood for a moment. Queerly, it was only then I realized that the jealous brutes might have killed Tor- rance—hitherto it. had been quite a per- sonal matter between me and the wolves. I feared them for my own sake—all the time I had been yearning to shoot the dev- ils. Well, now they were dead, and the Princess and Torrance had come together again. So I left them, holding hands like happy children. Poon CHERE it ended. Waynill came ame near to the truth—but he could =~ come no nearer. The Princess went to Italy a few days later, and Torrance fol- lowed her. The cigar-case that Torrance had claimed is now in my possession. It had fallen from Stark’s clothing as Lovell took him down the cattle-track to the bog. Waynill drifted discontentedly about that part of the forest for a fortnight, learning nothing more, it*“Seems, and then suddenly gave it up and returned to town. He went in the morning, and in the afternoon Lovell, the Gipsy, appeared at No-Man’s Court— apparently from nowhere—and fell un- concernedly to work, straightening up the empty wolf-den. That was some monthsago. And now it is Summer and the forest is glorious in cloth-of-gold of the gorse, royal purple of heather, emerald fern and cool green of pine. And Torrance and his wife return from Italy to-morrow. They will not live at No-Man’s Court but at a place with gentler memories which Torrance has bought in the forest. And if ever they ride out to- ward the bungalow and the old Court they will not encounter that grim, turfless patch to‘ awaken in their minds that which is better forgotten. Gray old Gregg has seen to that—he has returfed it so carefully that it is impossible to tell the new from the old. CO Ebooks CO