The Argosy, August 1905 — page 165: what you’re looking at

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

oe . . —Ssarsigel ee Effie cor- a inking en the lounge and mo- tioning him to a comfortable armchair. “1 am very glad to see you and hope that 1 can be of some service to you.” * You ean, Miss Hilton,” replied the professor, slowly rising and taking from his pocket a typewritten letter. “You wrote this anonymous communication to President Cady. As one of the faculty of Old Orange University, I want you to tell me why you did it.” Effie’s face flushed scarlet. “ How do you know that I wrote it?” she said stiffly. “T have every proof. Miss Hilton, is it necessary to go into that? Will you not confess that you wrote it and save time and trouble? ” “ Well, yes,” replied the girl slowly. “TI will confess that I wrote it, sinee you put the question so positively. What of it?” “ Why did you write that letter? ” “Because I wanted those cowards punished for hazing a defenseless fresh- man.” “ | don’t quite understand.” “T should think that my words were perfectly comprehensible, professor. I will explain more fully. 1 was at this window when I saw- the kidnapping taking place across the campus there at the left-wing dormitory. 1 detest those hazing plots, they are so cowardly. It is many men against one who has no show. Of course | did not then know who were the parties concerned. I could not recognize them at that dis- tance, and, besides, the men were masked.” “You knew that it was Stanton who was being kidnapped?” “Yes, I recognized him. But if it had been any other man my sympathies would have been with him equally.” “But my dear Miss Hilton. if you could not recognize the faeces of these men, how did you know their names, which were mentioned in your anony- mous letter?” For a ininute the girl hesitated. “hat is perfectly simple,” she an- swered. “I was unable to sleep, and was standing at my bedroom window several hours later when the men came home from their expedition.. I reeog- ” aA % gr — a . Saee WHO AND WHY? 5% é = * 43 “~ nized the face of cach as he passed the house.” ; . “In the dark?” dubiously. . “ That street lamp yonder lighted up their faces with perfect clearness.” “Oh, yes; of course. And you sent that anonymous letter because you dis- approved of hazing?” “ Not at all. Knowing that the pen- alty was expulsion, I would not have acted the part of an informer, no matter how much I personally detested the act,” replied the girl, with eyes flashing scorn and defiance at the professor. “'Then why did you send the letter? ” “Because early that morning my brother brought the news to me that he had heard from a freshman that Stan- ton had been murdered. Then I deemed it my duty to inform President Cady of what I knew about the matter.” “ And in that event, Miss Hilton, why is it that you omitted from your letter the names of two of the participants?” “Ormsby did not eome back with the others. I did not see him and did not know that he was with the party.” “Well, how about the other kidnap- per, Robert Courtney?” As the professor asked the question he looked at the girl keenly. Her eyes fell beneath his gaze and again the warm blood rushed to her face. “ Professor Starling,” she said, “ why do you cross-examine me this way?” “Did you know that Courtney was among those kidnappers?” asked the professor, ignoring her question. , “T did.” “'Then why did you omit his name from the list?” The girl raised her eyes and fairly and squarely met those of the professor. Over her strong, handsome face came a look of quiet determimation. “T wanted to shield him—hbecause I love him,” she said. , ‘ “Ah!” said the professor, and fum- bled in his coat pocket for a minute, taking therefrom a little lace handker- chief with twe round heles cat in it. “Miss Hilton,” said the professor very gravely, “is not this your handker- — chief?” ote The girl took the handkerchief a examined it carefully. steps 7 Hg , bd asked the professor x © \ a nd comicbooks.com