Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

858 And I believe it is your way of saying no. ¥ could be a siren, sir, as the women spies are supposed to be, and steal them from you when you are asleep. But, no! For that { should have to make you drunk, and I do not like drunken men. But vou will give those stones to me, nevertheless!” She was standing close to him, so close that her hair, beaded with fog, brushed his neck. He felt the pressure of something against his body, and realized suddenly that it was the pistol. He stood still, and smothered a laugh that came to his lips. But she was differ- ent; she had shown no signs of hesitation when she had fired before, and he thought suddenly that it was within possibility that she would fire again. ) “Through the gloom came the sound of slow footsteps, the heavy, regular beat of a constable. He felt her become suddenly tense, and she whispered to him: “ A crook of my finger, sir, and you are dead. If should not hesitate, and in this darkness I should escape. You will not speak to this officer, I am sure.” ce No.” They stood silent, while the heavy tread passed within ten yards of them. When it had drawn away, the woman withdrew from him, but the muzzle of the weapon was still pressed close to his body. “Tam quick,” she said rapidly, ‘‘ and if you should try to sweep my arm away I should kill you. Sir, I will count five, and at the end of that time you shall give me what is mine.” “God knows I want to,” Morgan said, while a cold thrill passed over him. “It would be hard for me to make you under- stand. There are other circumstances of which I have not told you that make it all the more binding—my promise. “ Mademoiselle, you will be the rainbow of my days—I mean it. I can never forget you. Two or three times in a life one hears a song or sees a play or reads a story that one cannot forget. That is how it has been with me this afternoon. It is the truth,” he said earnestly. ~ “ Bah!” she answered, drawing away so that she should be outside the sweep of his ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. arm. ‘““Am TI to listen to you and your boy’s philosophy? You want to trap me; you think I will follow your talk, and when I am most intereste’ you will get my gun, hein? ‘“No! I shall count five, sir, and at the end if you do not give up what is mine, I shall shoot.” A clock in the village began to strike, and the notes, some heavy and some thin as the mysterious currents of fog changed them, settled like snow about them. She counted with the strokes of the clock. * One, two, three—” ‘“* But, mademoiselle.” “No buts, sir! Will you or will you not?” “JT will not. Neither will I run.” “ Five!” she said, but there was no ex- plosion of the pistol. She stood silent, and intense for a full minute, then spread her arms in a gesture. “T cannot. It is too nice a boy. You have won, sir, for this time. But we shall meet. And when J have foun’ another champion who is bigger than you, ah/ It will be a battle of giants! I thank you for the tea an’ the pleasant stroll. Good night, boy!” With the last stroke of the clock she was gone. Morgan stood, staring off into the fog. He could not follow, for somehow it would be bad taste. He drew a long breath, and turning, went back on the Woolwich Road. He would never see her again, and that was sad for the reason that she had pleased him deep- ly, and all the time he had been with her there were pictures in the back of his mind of the pleasant times they were to have to- gether, theaters in London, dinners in Soho, and bus rides on pleasant Sundays to the small Kentish villages, or wp the river to Richmond. ‘These things would never be, but the spark of happiness which she had kindled in him, while it sank as he went back toward barracks, did not go out. He whistled as he walked, and when he went in past the sentry at the main gate, he, who had gained a reputation in his room for settled spells of surly silence, said: ‘‘ Good night, mate!” TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK CoOMmicooolks CO in