Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 3 — page 180: what you’re looking at

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

; 5504 bother me with your affairs. I have trou- bles of my own. Where’s Mary?” ‘‘Da—” Peter began quite loudly. It was as far as he went, with an evi- dently profane comment. Peter, badly shaken, choked down his words and stared at the door, for if the rest of them had not heard the steps, Peter had. Peter, too, was the first to see and recognize a certain maskless pirate. “Huh?” said Peter. ‘“‘ What are you doing here, Horace?” “Ts that my cousin?” William cried. ‘“ That’s your cousin, Will,’ Horace Steers confirmed, and closed the door after bim gently. “I’ve been looking for you. That's your taxi down-stairs, is it? ‘The man said you were in here somewhere, and I took a chance on Henning’s flat!” Long-nosed, unwholesome, he smiled se- renely. His voice was cool and peculiar too, and it brought a hush upon the slight- ly disturbed Jittle gathering. Beyand this, Horace carried under his arm a tightly rolled bundle of silk, whereon green flowers forth. “ Bill!” said Horace. ‘“ Where’s Mary?” “Why—do you ask that?” Wilham choked, quite dazedly. ‘“She’s in town? You're looking for her?” inquired the too intelligent pirate. ‘“‘ She sneaked away from you, did she?” “What d’ye mean?” gasped William, and clutched his cousin’s arm with the hand not engaged, just then, in thrusting back his pistol to its holster. ‘‘ Yes, she—I’m looking for Mary, Horaee. Do you know anything about ber?” ° | “Why, I know all about her!’ Horace laughed blandly. “ And [ knew you didn’t. I had the right dope from start to finish, and that’s why I’ve been trying to find you~ and tell you!” “ Do you know where Mary is now?” “ She’s right over there at the masked ball, Bill—dancing!”’ ‘““ She — ts/” screamed Sally Noble. “ She’d never dare!” 66 Why not?” “ What—what—-what is she wearmg?” Horace smiled. “Oh, nothing very startling or conspic- uous,” he said strangely. ‘‘ Just an ordi- Henning. 4 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. nary party gown, Sally. Why the excite- ment?” ‘““ Never mind the excitement, Horace. Give me the facts!’’ William barked at his cousin. “ Talk quick! How do you know she’s there?”’ Horace smiled whimsically, as he per- mitted the silken gown to flutter out.” ‘All right,” he said cheerily. ‘“‘ That’s what sie wore when she first came to the ball. I had an awful hunt, but I found it in a conservatory over there, after I’d missed ber—before I was wise to the fact that she’d changed. See?” “No!” ° ‘“ T’ll make it clear. I was there, and I spotted Mary, in this, and Mary wouldn’t admit she was Mary. Well, I was carious. I wanted to know how she came to be there, and with whom she came. ‘Fine! Pretty soon Mary began to pal around, as it were, with a knight m armor. They were great old friends; she clung to him like a barnacle. Then I missed ’em, and pretty soon the boys got hold of the knight and hammered the life out of him in a playful way, and—” _ ‘“ Rot!” shouted Wilham. ‘‘ There was a woman in that armor{ I saw her in this flat! Ask Mrs. Noble about that!” he laughed. “ Ask him!” His dreadful finger pointed at Thomas Sally, flaming, ‘gasped an imar- ticulate protest; Thomas stayed her with his sudden calm smile. Even if badly bat- tered, he was intelligent! ~- Matters were tangling themselves more and more; perhaps, by way of driving Bil quite insane. and having him removed by force, it behooved Thomas to tie another knot. He shook his head. ‘‘ Believe it or not, as you choose, Em- erson,”’ he said, “ you’ve never even seen the woman who was in that armor, and the armor itself is an heirloom and was never at any ball. As to the unearthly reason why Miss—er—why the girl happened to be dressed like that when circumstances compelled me to try fooling you into the belief that she was Weldon Pitt, I’m sworn to silence for the present by heg¢ brothers “ Some day, when she is safe in her na- GORGE OOO Ss Colin