All-Story Weekly, March 1, 1919 — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

We Fahey og —: a Se B= r oe a pg ge ee PN Cy" ge Se a = : — — tae ie ; OEE ees 2: ee > - .. a ae Missouri Dane mounted the stairs and found Spike still on guard outside the bed- room door. He was dead for sleep, and was just starting on his fourth box of ciga- rettes. “Has the prisoner been quiet during the night?” asked Dave. “No, he has not,” yawned Spike. ‘“ He has been uncommonly noisy. His snoring has kept his guard awake.” “You can beat it now for a couple of hours,” said Dave. ‘I will mount guard. Go down on the lawn, where One-Shot is patrolling under the prisoner’s window, and tell him he can have a few hours sleep.” Spike crept wearily down-stairs and out on the lawn. After a perplexing search, he found One-Shot asleep in a rosebush. At noon the whole desperate party with two exceptions, gathered in Missouri Dave’s living-room to discuss the situation. Looking through the window they could see the prisoner strolling listlessly in the gar- den. At his side strolled Nell, the daugh- ter of desperation. Perched upon the wall, and holding across his knees an ancient dueling pistol, sat Jean the valet. When- ever Jerome looked in his direction, Jean picked up the pistol gingerly, and with in- finite care, aimed it at that young man. “Well, what is the young man going to do?” asked the portly lady. ‘One thing he is not going to do, Jose- phine,” replied Missouri Dave; “ one thing he is not going to do is to put up a fight,” “TI told you the other night he wouldn’t,” said One-Shot, removing his red bandanna temporarily and exercising his neck by stretching it this way and that. “So long as the ordinary young man is comfortable and well-treated he won't put up a fight. What’s the use? There are no D’Artagnans any more.” “T hope Fordham doesn’t let that gun ais ~ = is ca io WHAT woud 1 THE YOUNG MAN DO? -souri Dave. “the young party stoutly insists that he is __ not Mr. Winfield’s son.” “That is the natural thing for him to do,” insisted Spike. “In drama, perhaps, but not in real life,” returned Miss Green. _. “In real life, too,” said One-Shot. “TI have mentioned that in my notes.” “And so have I,” said Spike, Each pulled from his pocket a sheaf of notes. Spike started to read. ‘““Another time, gentlemen,” said Mis- ‘Notes are no treat to us. We are all taking them, except mother. I have only one faint worry, and that is due to the fact that the young man doesn’t. seem to be much terrified. But he will be in a few days. ‘T have an idea,” said Spike. “This whole thing is your idea,” said Dave. “ Don’t ever forget that.” ‘My idea,” said' Spike, “is to throw a slight scare into him. Treat him to a little polite torture. He will not show his true nature until he is aroused. Just now he is too placid.” | They all looked out into the garden and saw Nell stooping to pluck a flower, and Jerome watching her with more than ordi- nary interest. Jean was scowling on the wall and occasionally squinting along the © barrel of his trusty weapon. “Millicent is not terrifying him much,” observed Josephine Green, not without a note of sarcasm. ‘‘ She feels sorry for the young fellow,” said the little old-fashioned lady, ‘“ And it is natural that she should.” ‘The daughter of a desperado, such as I, should not feel sorry for anybody. She should be thinking of the twenty-five thou- sand dollars,’ said Missouri Dave. “T allow that a little refined torture would help bring out the characteristics of off and injure the young man,” said they any man who is held in bondage,” said little old-fashioned lady. ‘“ Fordham be- longs to the realistic school, you know.” “Quite impossible, my dear,” replied Missouri Dave. “It hasn’t been loaded since Aaron Burr owned it, and besides, I took the extra precaution of removing the hammer before I gave it to Fordham.” ‘One thing worries me,” said Josephine, rc r = : 7 = = v. = E ~~ . = . at =——, za 2 : . ~ eg aot ah = ——— ee x ? ee 7 aetligige — Os . — m~ eee ae er oe ap ne ag So ad oP av x ee ee ee, A NE = Spike. ‘“ Why not put him down in the dark coal-cellar and feed him on bread and water for a day or two? We can’t let this thing die on our hands. What are we go ing to gain if the young man submits and stays here forever, strolling with Millicent and plucking flowers?”’ “Surely you would not do that, Froth- a ee . ~ ee : =< ae =a =