The Argosy, October 1906 — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

© eon the candle, and stooped. his broad back to receive my weight. = = > ~ At may seem that I had taken’ my time ~ about going to poor Miss Todd’s rescue. ~~ But I had not. I had not dared trust Murena until my “ knife- to-heart talk ” with him; and now I was urging him down the water- filled passages at the top of his speed. Around corners, through arches, and into transverse waterways he bore me. At length a sudden turn brought us into a little alcove with a sort of ledge at one side. x J ‘On this ledge a white figure stood, and on either hand sprawled and smoked a torch-bearing guide. = I caught a glimpse of Doris’s face be- fore she saw us-coming. It was white. as death and the mouth was tight set. Yet it bore no sign of terror, of finching. Those glorious great gray eyes of hers looked out on the black world before her with the same old honest fearless- néss. And at the sight of that splendid, brave little face, lit by the red flare of torches, against a background of dense blackness, something went wrong with my heart—something that could never again be righted. Then our eyes met, hers and mine, -and I saw the color surge back to her white face, the old laughing curves to her set lips. She took an instinctive step forward. ~ == “Oh,” she called, and even across the reach of water I distinguished and thrilled at the glad relief in her voice, “ you're _ Safe! I was afraid they had Her breath ae and she could not goon. In all that horror it had been for me she had feared. The revelation sent the blood dancing — eat through my veins. But I saw it was my cue to end the strain of the situation. For, though I knew nothing of women, yet any ten- year-old boy could have realized there were tears in that silver voice, and I dreaded to see a woman cry. I suppose unexpected sight of rescue unnerved. her. ~“ Behold a knight of old dashing to the rescue of the damsel in the dun- ~ geon!” I declaimed, foolishly enough, THE ARCOSY. in English. I could wish for a showier, more mettlesome steed. But the general effect is just as good. —D’ Auban- to SES {7 rescue ! Inane and out of place as was “my blatant shout it served its turn. The troubled look left her face, and her an- swering laugh held no trace of tears. The two guides with Doris had sprung to their feet in amazement at sight of us and looked angry inquiry at their -leader. Murena raised his” right ae before his breast and made a rapid movement of the- three middle fingers. At sight of the signal the two slunk back. and turned their wondering gaze on me. “T can’t explain,’ I said to Doris, in English, as they set me gently down on the ledge beside her, ‘but I must ask you—for the present—not to speak to our friends outside concerning this ad-_ venture. promise? I don’t know any good reason why you should trust me, after the way I deserted you. But won’t you?” I feared she would refuse pointblank. Yet were she to tell of the matter, what good could- be served? Her own ‘father apparently was a member of the organi- zation that harbored these three rascals. _ If investigation were made, she might even come to learn her father’ s share in the society and what a cur he was. And, much as I disliked Amos Todd, I did not relish the idea of his daughter’s | grief at such a discovery. Besides, from a purely selfish “stand- point, I did not wish my own innocent recreation checked quite yet. There might be further possibilities of interest and service in the scarlet scarab. Already that same scarab had set my feet firmly in the long- Ease BEDE Way to romance. Had it not supplied me_ with | mys-_ tery; with an adventure with brigands ; with a chance of rescuing a beauteous damsel in distress? What more delight- ful series of episodes can one demand of romance in a single twenty-four hours? — And I was averse to ending the affair. — just at the point WHETS I was” at last beginning to enjoy it. So it was with real relief chee = cs Can you trust me so far as to — Ne > ~~ tened to her somewhat wondering eS = ise of silence.