The Argosy, October 1906 — page 206: what you’re looking at

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

576 sion in meaning glances and smiles as I entered a room, or ae thrusts at my credulity. == ’ J. went over the man’s talk, every word of it, and tried to recall his ex- pressions. He <was _ plainly agitated when he entered, and, though I had watched him closely, he had never, as I recalled him, abandoned the nervous, worried leok. If I had been tricked, it was by an actor of rare ability. “Montague Grant,’ I muttered. I could think of no professional actor by that name. Again I settled dewn for calm reflec- tion, trying to shake off this last train of thought, but every proposition was quali- fied with the words, true.” “Tf his eS iS, of suffering he had befere him. There would be no comfort in the wind and storm which are so dear to me. I felt that the disorder of his rooms would fairly reflect his mind. If it were not true—my heart eae = within me, for I have a little pride in my dignity of manner and position—_ what a warmth of laughter he must be _ holding back, or else he was even now in a corner at the club, where he was going over the story for perhaps the twentieth time. 7 That part I could settle. I rose quickly and started for the door; but, half-way there, I paused with a new idea. nor his step on the stair. Could my mind have been too confused to receive messages from my ears? Nervously I paced back and forth, until I heard a step coming up the stairs. It paused at the opposite door an instant, there was the click of the latch, and the door closed. I know not whether pity or wrath was uppermost in — terly gone. my soul. To soothe my mind before retiring— for I was now determined to await de- velopments—I picked up a book. Scarce-— ly had my mind settled, however, to the level of another world, as the volume led me away from the thoughts of the evening, when I heard my neighbor’s door open suddenly, and a sharp rap on mine followed. | ie indicating great excitement. ‘dress, the silence after the doo r : and thes. fate i THE ARGO oF: -I rose, startled. A thick-set; florid man of about fifty years of age bustled in, his face very red, and his manner “My name is_ ‘Grant. Jost moved in to-day “Pardon me,” Se broke} in decidedly, “but I have met: ‘Mr. Grant.” The man recoiled a little. ee 3 don’ t eed Iam Grant. robbed.” = I felt a See » piddoee was obliged to catch hold on the table for support. - == Ba You—Grant— =robbed ze T Pes _-elry, curios, and ae ag ee Granting that it was, what a night — else. ‘Haven’ 't you heard a sarah zs my room? T “ear: i left. Ay. noes aunlocked Gradually my senses € I recalled the: op pat heard, « called, “too, the eecace = man Di fore. my first— caller came,. the erening closed. . My new caller was eine: excitedly, “Vou didn’t hear a sound?” — = No, ede fee a aes I had not heard him enter his room ar ave? He was in éve- ning clothes.” ae * Would yan - know him if ‘you caw 2 cy think SO, ge r ane «All Tight. a = the. lis. Perhaps “we. can gS i = = TI sank into my Ik useless after the Se shee Anyhow, I al ‘to be in my room when my frst_ came, for I have a few books. aaa a kets” ‘which I love and which it would = ‘pain me much to lose. oO “€O mi <e <S.cOr