The Argosy, April 1912 — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

SHIFTING makes perfect, you know. And when every- body is doing the same thing it really isn’t half so difficult as you would imagine.” “I suppose not,” replied the sheriff. “As a matter of fact,’’ continued the young man, “I am in a terribly upset state.” “Do you doubtfully. “T certainly do,” said Huntly. “ How would you feel if you had come a long way to marry the girl you wanted—the only one you ever really cared about—and then, at mean it?” asked Border the last moment, have some terrible catas- _ trophe like that occur?” “TI don’t know,” answered Border. “It’s too much for me. And you came out here just to marry her?” | “TJ did,” replied Huntly. “She’s worth coming such a distance for, don’t you think?” “Well,” thoughtfully replied the sheriff, “T ain’t ever had the honor of knowing the young lady, but her mother seems a fine woman, and—and—”’ Suddenly he thought of the money in the family. “T guess she must be worth the trouble,” he added with significant emphasis. But Huntly ignored the accented word. “Oh, she is,” she assented calmly. Huntly apparently took no notice of the sheriff’s effort to penetrate his inner thoughts, but continued in a careless fashion: “The news was a great shock, I assure you. I was talking with Mrs. Temple about to-morrow when—” “Where were you when you met Mrs. Temple?” asked the sheriff. “Why, somewhere on the main street,” replied Huntly. “I don’t remember exact- ly where. I was on my way here to see my fiancée.” “Was she expecting you?” “Now, really, my dear sir, I suppose she was, but I couldn’t say definitely. Very naturally a young lady who intended to be married the next day would expect a call from her fiancée the evening before, don’t you think?” “Where had you been previous to your meeting with Mrs. Temple?” “Oh, strolling about the woods some- where. Really, the country about here is fine. We haven’t anything at all like it in the East.” “Yes, yes, it’s a fine country,” admitted SUSPECTS. 89 Border, “but how long were you strolling about in it?” “That I couldn’t say. For several hours possibly.” “Then you weren’t in town when the abduction occurred?” “From all accounts I must have been some distance away,” replied Huntly in nonchalant tones. “Did you meet anybody in your walk?” “Can’t say that I did. If any one passed I don’t remember it. My dear man, when a fellow is going to be married next day, he is hardly in a state of mind to notice every- thing that crosses his path. Very naturally he is thinking about the young lady.” “T see,’ commented Border, but as a mat- ter of fact he didn’t see at all. He began to look upon Huntly as an Eastern mystery, and one which didn’t particularly appeal to him. ‘But why all these questions? ” demanded Huntly, looking Border straight in the eyes. “Merely trying to get things untan- gled,” replied the sheriff. “TI don’t see where J can be of much assistance.” “Oh, but you can,” declared Border.” “You see, I will have to get you to take charge of affairs.” _ “Me? Why?” asked the young man in surprise. “Why, because you were to have been the young lady’s husband. Poor Mrs. Temple needs some one to take the burden off her shoulders.” “Of course,” said Huntly, “I shall only be too glad to do all I can.” “Well, then,” continued the sheriff, “that’s some help. I have my own ideas in regard to this affair.” “So you remarked,” replied Huntly, coolly. ‘And what are they?” “There can be only one reason for the abduction.” “And that is—” inquired Huntly. “Money! Ransom!” he declared. “Impossible!” exclaimed Huntly. “Why impossible? ” “‘ Because—because, no one here knew that Miss Temple is heiress to a fortune.” ‘““How can you be sure of that?” _ ‘““Mrs. Temple, herself, told me that she had been very careful not to let it be known that Mildred would inherit several hundred thousand when she comes of age.” “Then she hasn’t reached the time yet when she will receive her money?” COIN Clooolk<