Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

br f Kenneth Perkins HEN Judith Duane’s husband WV came home that afternoon for lunch, a grave excitement was written on his face. The equanimity he assumed as he took off his overcoat and gloves was, Judith knew, the result of for- cible restraint. He stepped into the sit- ting-room with her before saying anything, for it seemed that he was afraid to begin lest his voice be difficult of modulation. He surveyed her for a moment. Her sil- ver blond hair, the exquisitely clear eyes staring expectantly at him, the half-parted lips, the delicately pink upturned face—all these details assumed a new significance. Duane noticed that his wife shrank slightly. He was frightening her. ‘“T know you would have told me all about it if I had seen you at breakfast this morning.” He was glad he could start that “Way. “It was a terribly awkward thing,” she began hurriedly. ‘I’m glad you did not wait up for me.” ‘“T heard this morning that Chantry went to his club for breakfast dressed in his eve- ning clothes.” | ““ Naturally. He left here about half- past six,” Judith said naively. “It was half-past six by my clock—the little ormolu clock. It’s always wrong.” ‘“Half-past six!’? Duane exclaimed. ‘‘ But the other guests got home at two!” The girl colored angrily. Her first im- 631 Digitized by (Go gle pulse was to explain everything rapidly—in a breath; but Duane’s excitement, his en- raged eyes, his last statement bore down upon her like an accusation. ‘“ How is it you’ve been hunting up all that information about the other guests?” she said coolly. ‘“T haven’t been hunting up anything. Three of us were at the club half an hour ago. We talked about King Craven’s din- ner and they said they’d come home at two. Then they began to talk about Chantry’s not going home all night. They laughed about it and over his notoriety as a man- about-town. They said he must have been out for a great old time last night. They didn’t know that it was you he brought home.” ” Judith stepped over to the window. The light streamed through cream gauze cur- tains on the silken hair and the morning gown which revealed one pale, youthful shoulder. | “It’s not you I’m questioning or blaming for an instant,” Duane pursued in the same vibrant, excited tone. ‘I hope you get that at the start. It’s this rascal Chantry. If it had been some one else, I would say nothing more about it. But as it is, I want to get everything straight about him first.” ‘“ How do you know it was his fault? How do you know it was any one’s fault?” ‘‘ Perhaps it was mine then,” the hus- band rejoined. ‘ Perhaps I should have let iginal fro Orl m 7 THE OHIO STATE UG OEREFOOO SS (C(O)