Adventure Magazine Cover, June 18, 1921 — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

Sorcery and Everhard everything into my pocket as if in great haste. I tied her also, but carefully—that is, not tightly; and, starting up to listen, seemed apprehensive, and pretended as if I feared some one were coming; then I hur- ried out of the room. i 7 aoc I REALIZED that I was in a rian rather delicate situation. For all ou that I knew she might give informa- tion to the police and call them down upon Lord Bob’s apartment; but after weighing that possibility carefully, I decided that she would do nothing of the kind. Por one thing, it was not likely that she, or even Cantello, would care to attract at- tention to themselves by the story that I could tell through having listened; for he would not know how long I had been be- hind the screen; and for another, and more reassuring thing, Zoronna could not very well actually prove that I had been in her apartment without running the risk of having it also proved that shehad taken me there. However, as a slight precaution against either official or unofficial searchers—the last more particularly—as soon as I re- turned home I put everything, including the jewels in my belt, into a black silken bag. This made a flexible package somewhat smaller than a pint measure; and raising the “floor” of the gas-stove oven in the kitchenet, I crammed and forced the pack- age in so tightly that the black sheet iron was. securely replaced. But I kept out Remy Cantello’s note-book, which I wished to inspect, for some interesting items had struck my eye. Presently Zoronna telephoned. It seemed to.me that she was trying to be cheerful and intimate, and she said almost gaily— “T don’t know what you think ef me——”’ The manner of her saying it was an ex- plicit invitation for me to respond by assur- ing her that I thought she was all right, and though I had not quite understood, never- theless that I was willing to listen and ready to believe. That manner is the woman’s usual way of getting out of difficulty, of hoodwinking, of gulling men. I said nothing beyond a highly inflec- tioned, “Yes?” that might mean anything | except that I was anxious to be agreeable. I thought that she was badly frightened. ’ There was nothing just then that tangibly suggested fear, but I was sure that she was ‘to try to do, ever. 77 highly anxious, if not alarmed. However she tried to sustain her réle, and with vi- vacity wasted’ flattery on me. I had beer so quick-witted and resourceful! had laughed up her sleeve at the humbled and astonished Remy! Oh, yes; and she would like to meet me soon and explain. It was all very simple. “No doubt,” I reflected, “it would seem so when she had thought out her (ex- planation.” There was, I know, fear in her voice even as gaily she asked me to keep the trinkets I had taken from her, though they were paste —to keep them as little souvenirs; and if I would call the following morning she would explain why they were paste, and everything —explain everything. I declined both proposals. I did not, I said, take souvenirs from women; also that if I ever called on her again it would prob- ably be at my own convenience and possibly when I was not expected. That was not what I should have said. But I had. no way of knowing that she would take it as a threat, and:I did want to impress. upon her emphatically that I was not one of those men who jump like a puppet on a wire at the slightest movement of a woman’s finger. I was suspicious of her, and:I can not dis- semble with a woman. It is a foolish thing They are so much more expert in theart than Ican ever be—or any other man can ever be—that it is not wise to try the game. She had tried to net me artfully with a kind of coquettish lure. I was not to be netted with any such mesh as coquettes use. And though it was true that I did wish to meet her again, and intended to, perhaps much sooner than she suspected, I was in- discreet to intimate as much. But when one is as irritated as I was, little slips are likely to: occur. I am very cautious, and I plan carefully; I have much patience and I use it. Still I make mistakes, and almost inevitably if a woman is involved. Instantly she pretended to be angry,. though—I was sure—her anger was mostly a disguise to conceal alarm. “T had thought,”’ she said cuttingly, “that you were a gentleman!” That is a trite retort ever on the lips of offended woman, andi she seems to think it the most humiliating thing she can politely COmicloo \ UM) How she: CO