The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

726 Barrington! Barrington! Barrington! He was to sell himself to Barrington. He was to smile when the rich man wished, to bow at his call. He must do it if he hoped to win what he was forced to have—money ! Ted whirled back into the room. His whole being was in arms against the conditions which confronted him. He could not bring himself to play the farce out, there among the curious and eager guests. : Suddenly the door at the other end of the big room opened. Ted started as if he anticipated a summons to the torment that awaited him. He opened his lips to refuse to make his appear- ance, then stopped and stared. A man had entered the room alone. He was tall and gaunt and different in every way—except that he was human, though at the moment he scarcely seemed that—from the elegant guests and the trim. servants. Ted continued to regard him with undiminished curiosity. But the curi- osity deepened to horror as the man staggered toward him. A face so emaciated that the big bones almost stuck through the ghastly skin, eyes that burned with the fires of fever and of rage, trembling hands that made menacing if futile gestures, lank limbs that wavered uncertainly even under the light burden of the lean body —altogether a startlingly disagreeable intruder the man seemed. “What do you want?” Ted asked, after the long pause in which he had shaken off the uncanny impression pro- duced by the stranger. The man came toward Radford with an abortive effort at speech which con- vulsed his features till he was hideous. He raised his arm, and Ted instinctive- ly stepped backward. Almost, as if he meant to strike but restrained himself suddenly when his interest was diverted by the rack on the desk, filled with paper and envelopes, the man let his arm fall and seized a sheet of paper. The next moment Ted found himself THE ARGOSY. approaching and peering over the shoul- der of the stranger. He was laborious- ly writing something—his fingers were stiff as if they were unaccustomed to the work at which they were engaged. He finished and thrust the paper at Radford. “Nick Bullen.’”’ Ted read aloud. “ What can I do for you, Mr. Bullen? ”’ Radford never knew quite what were the incidents of the next few moments. He had a vision of a man, apparently gone quite wild and yet remaining speechless, waving menacing arms and approaching him. The obvious weakness of the indi- vidual who evidently meant to attack him made_anything but defense un- necessary. He flung up his hands be- fore him and stood guard. When he took deliberate cognizance of the situation the man was sprawled at his feet, with blood on his head. Ted saw blood upon his own right hand at the same instant that he observed the strange butler, standing aghast and si- lent, just inside the door. CHAPTER II. SURGERY AND SECRETS. “You shouldn’t be letting in stran- gers,” Ted said sharply to the butler. “Hold the door. We don’t want any one bursting in here now.” “ Did he attack you, sir? ”’ the butler asked excitedly. “Keep your nerve. We can’t have this get about,” Ted cautioned, seeing that the man was unstrung. “No, sir, of course not. I under- stand, sir,” was the hurried reply. Ted noticed the air of suppressing something, the intimation of a secret to be kept, with whith the man spoke; but he was too. much concerned with finding out the condition. of the man on the floor to make any observations. He did not guess that the butler believed he had struck the man on the floor. Ted saw the wound on the man’s head. It was high on the white fore- EOPMICOOOKS (E@)