Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

706 that I was actually sure that a door had opened and that some one had passed through it. Don’t you know how it may be? Retrospect clears up one’s mind, you know! Suddenly I knew that there was mischief abroad! I came hurrying down— and there I found you!” “You even guessed the exact door?”’ “T tried that door yonder into the living room. I flashed a pocket torch I have around in it. Everything seemed well enough. Then I came down the hall and opened this door. But—you surely believe me?” She looked wistfully into his lean, ugly face. It seemed that even then, serious and even anxious as his words were, there was a mocking devil behind his eyes smirking out at her. She thrust her hand back into the pocket of her dressing gown. It was strange that her assailant had not chosen to remove the weapon which she carried. Now it was a double blessing. She took a firm hold on it. And while she struggled to see the truth in what John Hodge was telling her, she was ready to loose a stream of lead at him at the first provocation. “I’m trying to believe ial she said gravely. Another picture swept across her mind, of the wicked, the cruel face of John Hodge turned toward her when she had surprised him in the library. And her eyes widened as she spoke. “Tt’s that cursed garden and what hap- pened there,” he said ruefully. ‘“ Good - gad, I don’t blame you! You have reason enough for thinking anything that comes into your head, I suppose. Except*that you were so wonderfully self-contained and so dignified—so strongly controlled, d’you see? —that I thought you might think it all over afterward and see how the moonshine and the fragrance of the flowers and the time of the evening went to my head and made a fool out of me—I had been hoping that you would see all those things and understand how profoundly shamed I am.” She raised a hand to stop him. More words were coming, a flood of them. But he bit his lip and kept back. “T’m not thinking about that,’ she said. “It’s quite another thing.” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ‘* Something I’ve done later?” he asked. It was hard to disbelieve in the sincerity which ruled him now. His frown was the height of contriteness and dismay. “ The library,” she said suddenly, unable to contain it any longer. ‘“ What were you doing in there?” “Good God!” breathed John Hodge. “It was you? You were there? At the window?” He made a motion to come closer. jerked the gun out of her pocket. “Stay where you are!’’ she whispered savagely. ‘“‘ You may be telling the truth or you may be telling a great lie. But I’m not going to trust to your word. I don’t dare. I’m going back to my room and there —I tell you, don’t come nearer to me! I have this gun, and my father has taught me how to use it very well. I tell you upon my honor, John Hodge, that at a time like this I should not hesitate—” Suddenly he shrugged his shoulders and stepped back with a peculiar smile. “You would actually shoot?” he said, and she sensed a polite scorn in his tone. “I would,” she said, and she pushed out the gun so that it gleamed in the light ‘“* John Hodge,” she went on, “ or whatever your name—” ‘No, no!” exclaimed John Hodge. “You are surely not going to say that? You are surely not going to accuse me of coming here under a nom de plume?” She paused. She was trembling with the conflict of wills in her. “That’s really too silly,” said John Hodge with open contempt. ‘“ Excuse me for the word, but there’s no other that fits. You mustn’t let such romantic ideas fly away with that good common sense of yours. If youplease!” — He abashed her as a teacher might have abashed her in her school days. “And as for the gun,” he said, “ why, that will not really tie a man’s hands!” He stepped closer. “On my honor,” she gasped, “I warn you! ” “T thank you for the warning,” said John Hodge. He came still closer. The muzzle of the gun struck against his breast. It seemed Gomichbooks:co She