Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 130: what you’re looking at

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164 tirely and I’m going to ask you to drop the investigation.” ‘* To—drop—” Mary’s voice failed her. “Yes. I—1I want to try to get away if I can, and disappear.” He spoke with a sort of desperate earnestness that she could not mistake. “I shall have to take my chances sooner or later and it must be without further loss of time. I can never forget, never be sufficiently grateful—” “But you can’t mean this!” Mary ex- claimed. ‘ Surely you aren’t giving up hope now, when we’ve something definite to go upon at last. You don’t know what I’ve done, I haven’t an opportunity to tell you but I’ve seen Hill.” ‘“You’ve seen him?” Lorrin groaned. “For heaven’s sake, where? I was afraid of this when you went to the city to-day, but my dear mother told me he had gone away.” ‘““He-has. It was yesterday that I saw him, in Mr. Wharton’s office, but I saw then in his face and the way he watched me, that he was afraid of something and suspected my errand, though of course, he didn’t know me. Mr. Lorrin, will you tell me why you didn’t want me to find him?” ‘“‘ Because I want to drop the investiga- tion,” he responded doggedly, a deep flush creeping slowly over his pale face. “I’ve changed my mind and the worst of it is that I can’t explain. JI know this must seem inexplicable to you, and wretchedly --ungrateful after all you have done, but I don’t want the truth ever to come out.” “But you escaped in order to prove your innocence,” Mary said slowly, thunder- struck at his attitude. ‘“‘ You’ve lived just for that, and your mother—you know what it means to her. If you’re captured you'll be taken back and you'll never leave those walls again alive.” “ Perhaps. I can’t help that,” he shrugged. “ Tt’s a chance I’ll have to take, and I can’t impose further on your hospitality. 1 shall have to ask you to let me go and forget that I ever appealed to your generosity.” ‘“That is preposterous!” Mary had started upright in her chair. ‘Do you think I’ll permit you to do such a mad thing, that I'll stop now?” “You must.” There was a look of un- ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. utterable sadness but decision in the glance he bent upon her. “I would rather have my name branded forever. Please don’t ask me any questions. I—I can’t stand it. I can’t answer them, I can only thank you and go.” ‘“ Don’t you realize what it would mean?” Mary’s voice broke with sudden pleading. “ Ti you should manage to get away you'll have to live in hiding always, hunted, afraid in every minute of all the days and years to come of being found out. Richard Hill knows something, even if he wasn’t actually concerned in that forgery. I’m sure of it, I saw his wife to-day, and I know he could clear you if he would.” ‘“T don’t want to be cleared.”’ His hands clenched and she saw the sweat stand out upon his forehead.. ‘‘I’d rather live for the rest of my life hidden and hunted, I’d rather go back to prison, than have any one else charged with this crime. That is the truth, Miss Mary. I don’t want my innocence proved.” * Then you know who is guilty,” Mary accused him. ‘“ You’re trying to shield him. But why? Why?” “J don’t know; I don’t want to,” he declared. -“ I simply don’t want the matter gone into any further.” “Then if you don’t know, you suspect.” Mary paid no heed to his protestation. ‘* Have you told your mother of this? Is she willing to have you sacrifice yourself?” “I meant to write her when—if I got safely away,” he muttered. ‘““And break her heart?” Mary’s indig- nant tones were as firm with decision as his had been. “ You shall not do this thing. I mean to find Hill if I have to engage de- tectives—I’ll wring the truth out of him—” “And do me the greatest injury that any one could in this world,” he interrupted ker. ‘‘ Greater even than the jury that sent me to prison.” For a long minute there was silence be- tween them while Mary sat with averted eyes, her dazed mind striving to grasp the import of this change of front. He did know or at least suspect the identity of the forger and he was willing, anxious to pro- tect him at the expense of his own vindica- tion—-his life ltself, if he were discovered Eomichbooks:co