The Argosy, August 1905 — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

ee ' * me peril threatened the Yantie? that seemed impossible. What could Crowding know about this steam- ‘ship? He probably had never heard of the vessel until Tarr had told him of his chance to serve Calvin Trainor as nurse. “Yet that fellow Brown—or what- ever his name is—is aboard this ship, and Crowding knows him. It was di- rectly after an interview with Brown that he went off his head entirely,” mut- tered the secretary. “ Is there some plot against the peace and lives of the passengers on this ship ? But that is preposterous. If it were so, surely Brown and Crowding, if they knew-of it, would not have risked their own lives by coming aboard her. No, no! That can’t be it. And who can I take inte my confidence? I cannot be a traitor to my own cousin—not to Ben Crowding, with whom I played and stud- ied years ago—even if he is mixed up in a criminal conspiracy. *“ Until I have proof that he has really committed a crime I am not called upon to sacrifice him. And perhaps not then. My mind is not at all secure on that point.” He rose and began to pace the econ- fines of the stateroom. The situation presented an unsclvable enigma. CHAPTER XY. NEWS OF THE BABBLER. A guntiE rap at the door startled Tarr as though it had been a much more commanding summons. It was now mid- forenoon, and the deck was well peopled with first-class passengers, despite the unfriendly aspect of the weather. When he opened the door his amazement was in no way decreased by the presence of Helen Trainor awaiting his pleasure. For a moment Tarr was quite speech- less. “ Good-morning,” she said quietly and without her usual smile. “ I under- stand you have been watching with your cousin all night, Mr. Tarr. We shall have you ill next. You must allow us to assist you.” “ Really—really,” stammered Tarr, “1 don’t know what you can do——” “TT can sit beside him while you go i bs be somewhere and lie down,” “she “eaid “s quickly. “ But, Miss Trainor, I do not think I ought to allow it. He is qnite de- - lirious.” “Dr. Meachem tells me he is far too weak to try to get out of his berth now —poor fellow! What a terrible thing it ist How little we know what far- reaching results may be entailed by our actions.” q _ “ What do you mean? ” he asked won- deringly. “I presume you realize that, as the doctor says, this condition of affairs has been brought on by mental worry. Poor Crowding, being driven from home and from those—from her whom he loved, by the shutting down of his work, a now come to this pass. It is terri- le.” Tarr saw that she, and probably her brother, blamed it all upon Brandon Burgess and his corner in cotton, But Tarr was not minded to oppose her statement now. Indeed, he was rather glad that she looked upon Crowding’s illness from this standpoint. : “She will not suspect anything if he babbles this stuff to her,” he thought. Aloud he said: “It is not right to tax you with my cousin’s care, Miss Trainor.” “ But if I wish to do this?” “Then I surely will net refuse you, and I thank you heartily for your kind thought. Perhaps: I will be better for to-night’s watch if T sleep some during the daytime.” She was looking at him with unwaver- ing eyes as he spoke. and although she flushed a little her reply was uttered in a firm tene: “Po not mistake me, Mr. Tarr. If I am lind, it is for the sake of the poor man who is ill. Yow certainly do not look for any favor at my hands, sir? ” The words were biting, and Tarr fell back before her as she entered the state- room. He knew to what she referred. As Calyia had told him, and as he had seen the evening before by her manner, Helen held him accountable for the un- pleasant position in which she had been placed by the gossip having its birth at the quoit game. , aT co Ales . a ee gan