Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

704, - There was another face put upon the mat- ter at once. Another meaning was given to ‘the curious attention which Logan first and John Hodge in the second place had lav- ished upon the globe. One of them, or both of them working in unison, had suc- ceeded in opening the globe, it seemed, and had extracted the contents of that cunning- ly hidden pocket. And a thing which the old commodore saw fit to hide in this fash- ion must have been of some value. She crumbled and then anxiously smoothed out the silk pocket which she held. She turned it inside out. But there was no making which could give a clew to what the contents might once have been. She stuffed it, finally, into the pocket in her dressing gown and crossed the room again. Obviously she must make a report of her discovery to some one, but who that some one could be there was no means of telling. Her father was gone. And poor Mrs. Dascom would probably be reduced to the verge of hysteria if such a tale were poured into her ears. Olivetta, walking thoughtfully and, like all people in thought, with her head slightly inclined to the floor, had stepped into the hall when something like the soft stirring wing of a moth waved down noiselessly before her face. She raised her hand too late to strike it away. It sank tight and strong about nose and mouth. It stifled the scream she strove to utter. She was borne back upon the floor, twisted upon her face, and held there by a crushing strength and weight until the gag had been adjusted and her hands tied behind her back. | “That done, nimble fingers began search- ing every crevice of her clothes. Some one, then, had watched her at work on the globe and had seen her take the section away. They were working now to gain the profits from what she might have found. As the search progressed fruitlessly, he who had attacked her began to curse in a whisper— but the words and the voice could not be recognized—there was only the light, hissing sound, Suddenly the search stopped. | “ Don’t move!” said a whisper beside her very ear, and at the same time something with a needle point pricked into the flesh _— —s —s —s =" 2 P. a z "~ ~ * —— Seal ll —-. a > se <— 7 _ tie? 4 > ——) =~ = ~<a — ~ . > SSS a RS Pe pn, RR ee Se —~ NS Re Sia ES CS nS eg eg ee ee = S - en le DS 0 ts a? Se en a . * Ng en fa ee eae lo B. . oat ae ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, of her back. In the meantime steps came slowly down the stairs from the upper hall. Muffied by the carpet, it was an almost indistinguishable beating sound that she heard come toward them. And now the heel was tapping lightly on the floor of the hall. Some one was sauntering slowly past while she lay there in the corner, only half concealed, surely, by the shadow. Any breathing sound would reveal her. And yet no sound was made. And the step went past them and disappeared, wakening a wider and fainter echo on the steps beyond the front door. She was now released from the weight which had crushed her to the floor, She was raised, swung upon a broad shoulder, and carried with amazing lightness and speed down the hall. Of one thing at least she could be sure, if she were ever given an opportunity to detect her assailant—he was a man with very broad, bony shoulders and possessed of the greatest strength. Would not that description perfectly fit John Hodge? The first cold frenzy of fear was sub- siding. She was beginning to be able to think and act, but before she could frame a plan, or effectually struggle, he who bore her paused, opened a door, and cast her down violently into a closet. She was pressed against the flat boards before her. The door closed with a jar behind her, and she heard the turning of a lock which was quiet assurance that she could not easily escape. CHAPTER X. A BARGAIN WITH HODGE. IME was measured for a while, in the progressing ache of the muscles of her arms and hands where the cord of him who had bound her began to eat into the flesh: It seemed to her a round hour before the lock turned quickly in the door again and, as the door was opened, she tumbled out and was caught in the arms of a man who exclaimed in astonishment. In an instant the bandage and the gag were removed. She could see, breathe, speak, Then the touch of a = Foss 4 micbook 5 . “ ‘ eS (E(@) } ut = ~ Be, pe et al —? 2S Se ee mm 3 a Fe — wee - - = 5 a