Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

DINNER FOR CYNTHIA. had been stealing down upon her: whatever - the switchboard arrangement below, this particular telephone was not connected with the outside world. However, the inspiration itself was just as sound as ever. There were other instruments, all over the place apparently. Her only problem was to locate one of them in a secluded spot and there to do her whispering. There should be no insurmountable difficulty about it: this was an early retiring household and all its members must have been slum- bering hours ago. Which way, then? There was the main door of the room, through which she had entered and there was the door in the cor- ner, through which Graves had left. The latter seemed to offer the more interesting possibilities. Cynthia hurried to it and opened it, and all but exclaimed aloud in her glee, for her guess had been correct; here lay a dusky, narrow passage, giving upon what appeared to be a back stairway and hall, and in the latter a light burned very dimly. So there was the way! Cynthia tiptoed into the passage. She’d have to be extra- ordinarily cautious in passing the floor be- low this one; that was where Mrs. Stone slept, but once on the main floor of the home the rest ought to be easy enough. She’d have to prow! around in the dark, too, for switching on lights was far too risky; but with care and persistence an- other ten minutes ought to find her talking to Nora! So Cynthia tiptoed on and turned into the servants’ hallway and made for the rather narrow staircase—and there Cynthia halted, for a low voice said: “Just a moment, there! miss!” | The younger Miss Blair clapped one hand over her mouth. Her beautiful eyes dilated. A door was opening beside her; from it Graves was stepping soundlessly. Graves’s hair, drawn back tightly, dangled in a thin pigtail; a flannel robe was caught tightly about her spare figure, and her eyes were narrow as her mouth was tight. She came close to Cynthia Blair and laid a heavy hand upon her arm. Just a moment, “Caught you, hey?” she said without prelude or apology. streak in ’em, young woman, and they'll take in the riffraff when the notion strikes ’em and think it’s all right; but Z was look- ing for something like this!” ‘“Why—” Cynthia gasped. “Because J saw through you the very first minute I laid eyes on you,” Graves pur- sued acidly. ‘ Now, save your breath if you’re going to explain what you were do- ing and where you were going. I know all about it! I was sitting up, waiting for it!” “Take your hand from my arm!” said Miss Blair. “Tl do that, gladly. And you turn yourself around and go back to the room she gave you, and stay there! You'll do no roaming around this house to-night to - see what can bé picked up.” “You dare to—” ‘Go back to your room!” ‘““T shall do precisely as I please!” stated the eternally mistaken Cynthia. ‘“ Well, the brass of you!”’ gasped Graves. “Now, you hear me and if you know what’s well for you, remember! I get into no arguments with /er that I don’t have to get into; if she thinks you ought to be cud- dled instead of being put in a cell, that’s her business. But she’s a good mistress in a lot of ways, and I don’t mean to let her | be looted by the likes of you, just because she’s got a trusting streak. You get to your room and stay there and we’ll say no more about it, but if I catch you prowling again, I’ll screech for help and hang on to you—and let her know what’s what!” “Why, you absurd—” Cynthia began, contemptuously, although it is to be noted that she did not actually push past Graves. “ And if you don’t move a bit lively, I'll start my screeching now, and we'll have it over with on the spot!” Graves added. “Half past one in the morning, with your baby face sneaking about to see what you can steal from a woman that’s try- - ing to be a friend to you! For shame on you! Are you going?” Now, the curious fact is that Cynthia really was going at just that time. She was not greatly shaken or excited; there was O 407 “Well, those rough — ones, like her, always have a soft, foolish — and you Eomicbooks.co 444 } EUR Ch RNAS Pee : is : MW osiey