The Argosy, October 1906 — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

of the most amazing description. ‘something But, as a matter of fact,-for two whole days thereafter absolutely nothing occurred. On the third, however, enough hap- pened to make up for that, and to make me sick at heart w ith a crass folly that had first set.me to meddling with what: was no concern of mine. During those two uneventful days I spent less time in meditating on the re- volting Brotherhood whereof Billy Gregg and I formed ourselves dishon- orary members than on a certain mental phenomenon of which I suddenly became aware. When Sibate had told us of Amos Todd’s position as American agent (in other words “spy ’”’) of the Brotherhood the knowledge ought, by every known law of ethics, to have increased to the highest — degree my first distrust of Todd’s daughter, and warned me to steer clear of her. Yet the news ads an e€x- _ actly opposite effect. The thought of this innocent, child- faced girl loving and trusting her hyp- ocritical cur of a father and believing him to be the soul of honor, was, to me, infinitely pathetic. I felt irresistibly, overwhelmingly drawn to her in her helplessness. : ‘ I did not try to analyze the feeling. It was like nothing I had ever known before in all my thirty years. vaguely felt it was the culmination of a that had been growing stronger and more compelling within me ever since the first hour my eyes had ~ met hers. _ And then, all at once; I knew. what it was. I was in fovel Of course I was. Any fool could have seen that at a glance. _And it had taken me weeks to discover it. Well, if one has led a womanless ex- istence for three decades, he cannot ex- pect that when love does at last visit him, it will come properly labeled. The very knowledge, while it took my breath away, filled me at the same time with a vague, glorious sort of happiness. The best proof of my silly ignorance of such matters rests in the fact that, for the ‘moment, I never stopped to think nor to care whether or not she might - return S28 love. THE, SCARLET SCARAB BES Be a Yet I- Fate od” oe Ne That might or - might not come later. = —— At present I had quite enough emotion = aa thrust upon me to = one man’s mind — busy. | By some perverse fate I saw little of © Doris during those two days. Ferata had taken a fancy, apparently, to our party, for he spent nearly all his time | with us. To my disgust, Doris and he seemed - to find much to say to each other. actually growing jealous: Then ment. nating girl. together. And, after all, he talked to her no more thazi to Mme. de Tournon. the Todds’ private sitting-room, where Doris had been hostess at a little in- — formal tea, “I’ve got_an idea.” We were on our way to dress for din- ner. As we reached our rooms he went on: = Don’ mad, ; a hunch that Miss Todd is Case No. 1.” | “What!” “Don’t do a scream! It jars me just as bad as,it jars you. But dope up the game for ‘yourself. Says Sebaste to you: ~*Who’s elected for Case No. pe says he, in words to that effect. Ferata,’ says yeu, just like that; erinnin’ to think = what a hit you’re makin’ with yourself. “A fortnight later Sebaste says: ‘ He’s back in Naples. job,’ says he. That evenin’-Ferata trails He was a brilliant talker; she a fasci- 7 ‘Of course they got on well — ’ observed Billy on the fate af- Se ternoon ‘of the third day, as he andI left ~ 3 Vil put, him onto the into the limelight an’ lays himself out to _ make a noise like a ardent sooter to Miss Doris. How about it? Yes? No?” “ Billy,” I said impressively, “ lack is intelligence. Miss Todd is the daughter of an officer in their cursed Brotherhood. In_ the second, Miss Todd isn’t the sort of girl — who is dazzled by impecunious foreign noblemen or cares to marry such cattle. Old Todd is more kinds of a blackguard than I’ve got time to describe; all you = =< In the first place, but he is ~l was. scolded myself for the unworthy senti= - = pos a os = es 4 et 4, DAT AM Raa! f Ve & i ‘ 4 i aihae! Roi honestly fond of his daughter and he ~ ‘s wouldn’t consent to sell her to any. man. “No, no, Billy, you'll have to hit on some Stee role. for Ferata. | ~He’s tok courting Miss Todd, ‘whatever he’s do-_ == Comicbook —<- - —