Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

420 climbed out of my window, and glancing at the clock in the hall as I passed I saw that it was twenty minutes after five. I was not going to take any chances, how- ever, as he might imagine himself secure from interruption and so take his time. - The half darkness had changed to the cold, dismal light that precedes the sun’s coming, and objects stood out with un- natural distinctness, unrelieved by any softening of light or shade. This crude daylight seemed, like a judge, to coldly weigh the defects of all it fell upon and present them in their stark ugliness. Every- thing looked shabby_and dirty in this most disillusioning hour of the day, and I felt its cold spell falling on my courage as I tip- toed toward the door. To my delight, it was open a crack; I had been afraid lest in turning the knob I might warn any one within. Cautiously I applied my eye to the crack, but could see nothing until I had eased it open an inch more. The safe came then into my range of vision; as I had expected, the door was hanging open; and, as I hoped, a man was in front of it busily ransacking the pigeon- holes. Here was luck indeed; if I were careful I might still surprise him. As I opened the ' door softly and gathered myself for the spring, I heard a board creak behind me. I whirled around and saw Shirley standing with a pistol in her hand. ° “What are you going to do?’ she whispered anxiausly. The sensible thing to do would have been to snatch the pistol from her hand and use it for my own purpose; but my foolish - pride thrust aside the wise suggestion. “Keep quiet,” I whispered back furi- ously, “and stand away from the door.” Shirley had half raised her hand with the pistol in it, now she let it drop to her side, her face aflame. “I’m not going to shoot you in the back, if that is what you mean. I got it for you. Be quick, he will hear us.” We had barely breathed our words, but the man at the safe was already raising his head to a listening position. Before he could turn I had flung open the door, crossed the room and was on him. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, He was as quick as I, however, and by & sudden turn he met’ my onslaught with a flexed elbow that drove deep into my stomach. The shock left me gasping for an instant, and that sufficed for him to catch my right leg and pull it up’sharply. I staggered back, and but for the safe would have fallen; as it was, one sharp edge caught me in ‘the back, nearly knock- ing the remaining breath out of me. In- stinctively, my hands shot out and fastened around his throat. At the moment an im- perative voice rang out behind us. “Stop, or Ll shoot.” She might have shot, for all I cared; I was too excited to stop now for any one, but a strange change came over my an- tagonist. His whole body relaxed, and as I couldn’t go on choking a man that was net fighting back, I also loosened my grasp. The safe stood in a corner of the library; that was dark even at midday, and I had had little chance during the struggle to see my enemy’s face now, as I released him and he stepped back, I saw something that made me start forward in astonishment. “Uncle Gregory!’’ I exclaimed. “ Is it you?” | My uncle rubbed his throat with a dry smile. “Why didn’t you take the trouble to look before you leaped? You nearly choked me.” I could have replied with equal truth that he had nearly knocked me out, for my body was still sore from his violent and savage attack upon me; but I was still too much surprised at finding a friend instead of an enemy. “‘T hope I haven’t hurt you, sir,” I said contritely. ‘I only saw your ‘back. and thought you were the burglar. Where is he?” 2 My uncle look wry smile. “Gone by now; he blew open the safe half an hour ago. I heard the noise and hurried down, but he had already made his escape after ransacking the safe, as you see here.”’ “I heard the noise and tried to get down, too, but some one had locked my door and it took me some time to get out.” at me with the same ~ OF gina | f ebooks. conn romeo mn ~~ +1 IC ieee ( ) a= JS STATE UN