All Story Magazine, December 1913 — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

A THIEVES’ Campbell, in a quiet, brown busi- ness suit, was descending the stairs. With him was Margaret. CHAPTER XXXIII. THE CLANSMAN. For a little while I could hardly be- lieve that they were real. Gradually I saw that Margaret wore something blue with a splash of gray in it. Her hand lay lightly upon Campbell's arm, and while she ap- peared to cling to him, she did not seem nearly so much put out as I. Rosie Paler followed, trying to look very solemn. “Hello, Didderington! job yet?” Campbell's deep tones of greeting laughed at me, though his expression was as solemn as an owl’s. Then he and Margaret both seemed to under- stand that there was something wrong; and at closer quarters they saw my left eye and dishevelment. Margaret’s hand slipped from her escort’s arm. “What on earth have you been do- ing?*’ Campbell demanded, midway between laughter and amazement. ‘In a taxi wreck?” “ Not quite. They know.” I tried to make my single eye say the rest of it, but Campbell did not seem to understand. ‘They know? Who knows? what?” “ Beans.” To Margaret it must have sounded idiotic, and her expression of doubt was almost funny. Campbell’s eyes widened a little, but that was all. “You mean they know—” “Who Smith is and where to find him.” Campbell smiled. I never saw any one smile just like that. It was cruel, but the relief in it was the most surprising thing of all. In fact, I hardly believed ‘he quite ap- preciated just how serious it was. 79 Found a And COMEDY. 817 - “ Bu — but Della — she’s gone for him—man, to bring him here! ‘They know he’s here, don’t they?” Margaret’s face underwent a hun- dred changes of expression in a min- ute. She hadn't the faintest idea of what we were talking about. Camp- bell’s lips merely tightened over that enigmatical smile, and, half turning about, said quietly to Rosie: “Tell Billy not to let any one in until after the minister is gone. No one at all—not even the Borrowmans. Understand?” SOV ES: RIPE “After he leaves it doesn’t. matter. Tell Billy that.” © Tyilk Rosié rushed toward the basement stairway. s ‘Come on,” Campbell invited me, without winking an eyelash. “ ‘ Just as you are, without one plea.’ Your time has come.” The succeeding minutes —I don’t know how many there were — ought to be chronicled by some one else. I know very little about them. Faintly do I recollect standing with Margaret facing the minister, mum- bling responses and hearing my bride whisper hers. I did not see her half the time, because she stood on my left side, and the whole business was just as hazy as the things I could see out of my left eye. Alice and Campbell and Rosie were somewhere about, and I found the ring in my hand at the proper time without knowing how it came there. Then, after I had kissed Margaret for the first time in public, I knew that we were married. The minister said so, and gave us a certificate to prove it, after everybody but Rosie had signed their names. Rosie, I belf&ve, was very much sur- prised and a little awed when she learned, in the course of the ceremony, that I-was an earl; and when it was all over I heard her mutter: S6er At’ TF “hissed=4) os She comiicloooks.com