The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

Ae REINS 7 * SS ee a Oe : MESQUITE RANCH. “What did you tell him?” Ted asked sharply, vexed at being worried by the affair of Bullen when he had such serious concerns that needed his attention. “T told him, a friend of the family. I just gave him to understand that~he had made a big effort to get here to the wed- ding, and he was going to stay a while till he felt stronger,’ Wailhams replied. “ Was I right, sir?”’ “Very good,’ Ted commended, feeling that the butler had displayed a good deal of tact. “If any of the servants ask questions you might say the same thing to them.” “Tt seems, sir, that Mr. Barrington has been bothered by cranks. The de- tective was afraid one had gotten by —and that he wouldn’t get the money that was coming to him for the job if he seemed to have been careless, ir,’ Williams added. Radford appreciated what Williams said in spirit, even if the letter was less suggestive. He implied that the detective was being nicely rewarded for looking after Mr. Barrington’s in- terest, and that it would be in order for’ Ted himself to be as generous to one who was safeguarding his. He pulled his bill-book from his pocket and responded with a curious feelmg that the time was short in which he could be generous. Ten minutes after Williams left him he pulled himself together and rang for his own machine. The de- cent thing for him to do was to go at once to Bess and her mother and explain his change of fortune. ‘“May I come in?”’ Ted almost jumped. It was the something agreeable happening so un- expectedly in the chaos of worry and disaster. “Indeed you may!” he exclaimed cordially, crossing the sitting - room with quick steps and flinging open the door to the gay little girl who had the sweet voice. But it was still more of the unex- 2A sir, that the man was 737 pected when he saw the little creature who stood there. She carried a suit- case that was almost as big as herself, and she was dressed in the most de- pressingly black garb that Ted had ever seen. She was not at all the bright child he had expected to see. “Ma tante? She ees here?” she asked, fixing on Radford two eyes that seemed to make up the most of her face. ‘“ Well—I guess not. I haven't seen any ma tantes around here,’ he re- plied, purposely exerting the charm that ordinarily acted spontaneously. There was something appealing in the black little figure and the great, elowing eyes; he was afraid she might be frightened when she discovered that the person she sought was not there. | a You are twice meestaken, smon- sieur,” was the surprising answer his pleasant condescension won. “ Three times even! For you count me a child twice, an’ [ know Mees Thorpe ees here—so!” Radford understood. ‘This was the niece of Miss Thorpe, the nurse that Stratton had summoned. “You're mistaken once, so that evens up some,” he replied, stirred to interest by the independence of the girl. “‘ Miss Thorpe must be in the room above this.”’ She shifted the suit-case from one hand to the other and turned away. “Pardon, monsiewr. 1 thought | climb high enough,” she murmured. —“ You have,”? he said decidedly; real- izing that, whoever had let her in had considered her not entitled to the ele- vator. “ Come on.” He took the suit-case from her and felt her small hand, ‘hot through the cotton glove. As they waited for the elevator to come she shot hungry glances.at the luxury about her. Radford saw and pitied the pale- ness; noticed the delicately beautiful profile she turned to him. “What is your name, little girl?” he asked. conmicloolks 0 a ee Mad (E@)