All Story Magazine, December 1913 — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

A. THIEVES’ COMEDY. “You're a peach of a frien’ of Mac’s, you are, pinchin’ a sweet goil’s joolry to hand ’em out to a low-down little—” -\ smothered sob and a sound that was half a screech, half a curse, burst from Della’s lips as she sprang. l saw the glittering myriad of lights dancing out ‘of her ‘inky -black hair— saw her rage-distorted face — then Ralph spring between her and her prey. Fanny screamed and clutched at his shoulder, but he succeeded in grabbing Della’s wrists and held her off, though she struggled like a wildcat. ‘Lemme go!" she gasped hoarsely, wrenching her right arm free and doing her best to scratch Ralph’s eyes- out. But Ralph held on, even when I caught Della’s arms from behind, and tried to calm her and draw her away. He was studying the chain bracelet. He found and sprang the clasp, and, slipping the bracelet from her arm, jumped backward. Della struggled and writhed in my grasp with fiendish energy, drawing sobbing breaths of a fury that was dangerous. “T thought so!” Ralph exclaimed, wheeling upon Fanny. “I gave this bracelet to Miss Rollins last year. Our initials are on it. I suppose all the other stuff that little fiend is wearing is Mar- garet’s, too.” Della’s struggles ceased with surpri- sing suddenness. Fanny laid her hand upon Ralph's ari as if to smooth his temper. “Don’ get mad. She'll give “em up and—” “Go to the deuce!” jerking his arm free. confounded friends! A crowd of thieves, that’s what! I wouldn't be surprised if you helped take the things. ‘And what's all that talk about Alice? What Alice? Hang it all! You don't mean to say that my sister is mixed up in anything like this? Confound you! I’ve a good mind to—" An unpleasant laugh from Fenny halted him. Her eyes burned and Ralph snapped, “You and your 813 there was a dangerous set to the thin red lines of her lips. “Tm a thief —eh?” Her voice was threateningly low. ‘ You have the nerve to say that. If I was as low as you are I’d take arsenic. I guess you thought you were foolin’ me— didn’ you?) You'd marry me!” Another unpleasant laugh made Ralph wince and back away a step. “Sure you’d marry me! Oh, sure you would—not! You'd hand me the same deal as your uncle — Rollins — handed Nessie Borrowman. You an’ him are a pair. You're both rotten. But he’s gettin’ his an’ I've played you for the dog you are, and now I'm through! Get “that 2 Through!” Ralph was white and trembling, as Fanny sneered at him and ran her eyes over him with all the contempt in the world. But I only saw that dimly out of the corner of my eye as I watched Della get slowly out of her chair. She had not missed a word. “ Rollins!” It was hardly a whis- per. “ Rollins ruined my sister! An’ you knew!’ Their eyes met, and for a second or two there was fear of what she had done in Fanny's. Della’s glowed and her arms were quite rigid. The fat was in the fire with a vengeance. “ Rollins!” Della repeated hoarsely. “The guy that Mac—” Her head came round slowly, and I flinched before the look she gave me. She did not continue; there was no need. She knew that the man who had accompanied me to the Clachan was named Rollins, and, summing up the case against me, reminded me si- lently of the promise I had made her the night she and I had met, and of how I “had kept it. The silence was broken by a ‘child’s cry. In a moment the tiara flashed through space to my feet, and as I stooped to pick it up a bracelet struck my hand. The rest followed ere any of us had a chance to get our breath, comlicloooks.com