Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 3 — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

BEWARE OF Tom?” he asked quickly. ‘‘ How did he get in? What’s he talking about?” “That ‘ll do!” William | thundered. ‘Stand where you are! Don’t move!” _ His right hand slid under his left arm. It whisked into view again, and Peter No- ble, for the first time in his life, gazed into what seemed to be a railroad tunnel ‘direct- ed right at him. He closed his eyes and squinted hard. He opened them again, and for an instant hope flashed in them; but it was no dream after all! He was covered. “Now!” Willian said, with a quiet that was impressive. «“ Where is she?” “Where is—”’ A shock, violent past disguising, ran through Peter! His eyes opened for a mo- ment, and then, as a thousand thoughts and ten thousand possibilities ran through his head, he reddened suddenly and as sud- denly turned pale. He could, of course have looked more guilty, but it would have - taken time and considerably greater per- severance. " “ Mary!” he breathed. “You’ve admitted everything I need to know, except where you've left her!’ Wil- liam said, and his big chest heaved omin- ously. ‘‘ Tell me that, and talk quick, be- cause I’m going to drill you througn' Where is she?”’ On the couch, Sally stirred suddenly, “Qh!” said Sally. And again: ‘“ Oh!” And to this she added: “ Pete! Peter!” Once more a violent shock ran through Peter’s anatomy. The mighty pistol not- withstanding, he turned his gaze to the couch. Sally’s eyes” were opening, and Peter knew what some of the others did not know: when those eyes opened after one of these spells it meant that Sally had quite returned to the busy humdrum everyday life! : Hence Peter stiffened as William asked again: “Where is Mary? For the last time, what have you done with Mary?” “JT know nothing whatever Mary!” Peter stated distinctly. “What?- She was with you and—” about THE BRIDE. 551 ‘‘ She was not with me,” Peter corrected steadily. ‘I have no idea what you're talking about, Emerson, but if it happens to be your wife, I haven’t had the pleasure of her society.” And now Mrs. Noble was sitting up, winking rapidly, hearing it all, understand- ing most of it, apparently! Mrs. Noble, as Thomas observed with a horrid chill, was about to laugh. She did laugh, and even the squabble of the older generation, a little while ago, had not approached the sound of that laugh, for sheer hateful unpleasantness. ‘““ Mary!” cried Mrs. Noble. “Madam! Will you be so very good as to keep out of this little matter?” William asked stiffly. ‘‘I am about to—” ‘Rall my husband?” escaped Sally as- toundingly. ‘ He—he isn’t really!” Thomas maxgest- ed, gripping hard at the good, sane old world he had known so long. Mrs. Neble laughed again. ‘That part of it doesn’t interest me!” she stated, while a great gasp came from Peter, her husband. -‘“‘ You want to find your sweet Mary, Will? Is that what ex- cites you?” “ You don’t know—” “Oh? No?” inquired Mrs. Noble, with a tantalizingly rising inflection. a ~ Her features were white and drawn and exha ; yet her chin tilted insolently at William, and in her eyes burned the hot- test, most malevolent fire bec had ever seen. Despite himself, William dropped his ar- tillery to his side and stared at her. moment! ; ‘“Mary—” she all but intoned. “In her cute little pink bloomers and her other cute Jittle fluffy, bridey undies—sweet in- nocent litthe Mary! Just like that, you know, and nothing more. Would you like to find her, Will, just like that, in here? Would you now?” “What do you mean, Sally?” William asked huskily. “ Because if you would,” the distraught Mrs. Noble cried, and her voice was sud- denly wild and her pointing finger shook ‘Violently, “ ‘go through those curtains and DOO COUMIUC In her own way, Mrs. Noble was enjoying ‘the YN S Colin