The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

pe ve that he had to strike him,’ Bess ex- plained, as she thought best. Stratton whistled softly. “Where is her ”’ Bess made no reply, but led Strat- ton rapidly toward the elevator. “TH take you up. I don’t know where Ted has put him. It was best “not to let the servants know.” _ Stratton followed her into the ele- vator, and she pressed the button for the third floor. Then she turned to the. doctor. “Midge, you'd stand by Ted through — anything, wouldn’t you?” she asked, her white face lifted to his. “Through thick and thin,’ he an- swered quietly.. “Tf the man should die it might be —unpleasant!’’ she whispered. “We won't let him die!” Stratton said fervently. “Oh; Midge!” It was a girl's adoring approbation of the strength and faithfulness of the man she loves that sounded in Bess’s voice. Her rare face, its won- derful eyes burning with a beauty they had never shown to any other being, was close to his. He kissed her. CHAPTER Tif. THE MYSTERIOUS NICK BULLEN, RapFoRD, impatiently waiting, tore open the sliding door as the lift reached the third floor and the spring released the lock. He looked like an avenging fate to the two im the car. But their looks did not impress him. He was worried over the condition of Bullen, whom he had succeeded, with Williams’s help, in getting on a bed in the butler’s room. - “Come along, Midge. Do scome- thing for this poor devil!” he urged. Stratton needed no inspiration to haste. Already he was consumed with his own scorn and with remorse. He had yielded to an impulse which it was disgraceful for him even to feel, since he knew perfectly that Ted and his THE ARGOSY. money had won the girl to whom both of them had offered boys’ shy admira- tion before their ways in life dvided. He and Radford had maintained their friendship, though not the old intimacy which had made the north basement door an easy route to each other. He had accepted Ted’s success with Bess as natural when a girl’s mother had saturated her with love of money and social power. He had re- ligiously avoided meeting her until ac- cident had thrown them together under Ted’s own roof, there to make him dis- grace himself in his own eyes. Bess had shut the elevator door lit- erally in Radford’s face. -He had turned impetuously. to rush down the stairs and join her before she could leave the house; but second thought had been better counsel. It behooved him to give all possible aid to Midge in promoting the recovery of Bullen, so he hurried to the room where Stratton was é¢xamining his patient. “ Williams, go down and assist Miss Hetherington!’’ he ordered, then he turned to Stratton. The young doctor was absorbed in Bullen. His face was disconcertingly graye. Ted watched him anxiously. “ He’s pretty bad, Midge? ” he ques- tioned “I’m sorry, Ted, but it looks du- bious,’ Stratton acknowledged. He looked suddenly from Bullen to Radford. An expression of surprise, with a tinge of disapproval, came on his face. “ Jove, Ted, you needn’t have land- ed him one like this—even if he did attack you!” he exclaimed. “TI didn’t hit him!” Ted protested. “Somebody did. And they hit hard!” Stratton muttered, more intent upon the examination, which was more and more alarming, than upon the fact which Ted denied and Bess had as- serted. “Lend a hand here! ”’ Ted sprang to obey, thinking of mothing but assisting Stratton in his efforts to keep Bullen alive. Stratton had discovered a leather S EOPMICLOC (C@)