The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 52: what you’re looking at

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

754 meeting the eyes of Mr. Barrington. But the conviction took possession of her that he knew something of Ted’s connection with the man who had been drowned at the foot of the terrace wall. His protracted silence goaded her into words, and she felt that she blun- dered miserably in her efforts at con- versation. She grew to fear the silent, keen man who listened. With all her heart, the heart so lone- ly in the neglect it had endured while she overcultivated and coddled her pride, she longed for the comfort of confidence with the one man on whom, for Ted’s sake and her own, she might depend. A pretense of a headache enabled her to escape. She glanced from her bedroom. window and shuddered. Hu- go Barrington and his wife were strol- ling, loverlike, along the walk by the marble balustrade. She rang for her maid, and the girl who had dusted the red lacquer vase appeared, apologizing for the absence of the other. Bess asked her what she had done with the snake-skin belt. “ T gave it to Mr. Barrington’s man. Mr. Barrington has it now,’ was the answer. Bess’s thoughts wandered in laby- rinthine ways. Her better self, so long neglected, shivered faintly with repul- sion against the idea of marriage with a man who either intentionally or in- advertently had the death of a fellow- being on his hands and conscience. Her accustomed habit of thought drove her to overlook the higher voice and acquiesce to the worldly advan- tareous union. So long as there was no investigation; so long as Ted Rad- ford’s sinister connection with the death of the Westerner was unknown, she could not bring herself to relin- quish the wealth and social position which she would enjoy as his wife. The wise thing for her to do was to suppress in every possible way any cu- riosity about the death of the unknown Mr. Bullen. It flashed into her mind, like a gleam of encouragement, that THE ARGOSY. Barrington was certain to do the same thing because of his wife. Bess thought with mingled feelings of the interview she must have with Midge Stratton. He must be put in possession of the facts and cautioned about his references to Radford and Bullen. She fell asleep, comforted. Fred- erick Radford would be protected from exposure by the ambition of his fiancée; by the devotion of Barrington to his mother, and by Midge Stratton’s fidelity. CHAPTER VII. UNDER ARIZONA STARS. FREDERICK RaApForD left New York with a complete gentleman’s sporting wardrobe and equipment. He had no notion of where he was going—simply West. As he approached the part of the country which spreads with such royal generosity of extent over the accom- modating western part of the conti- nent, he began to realize that he must decide on a destination. But he had been occupied with many disagreeable thoughts before he roused to appreciate the fine flavor of the air that wafted from the Rockies into the Pullman. He had spent the days try- ing to make out why he was out of sorts with the idea of marrying. He ended by simply admitting the fact and trying to rid himself of the intu- itions that had led up to it. With the rising nature of his hopes he soon adjusted himself to the de- lightful notion that he was out on a courtship of the unexpected. He ad- mitted himself eager to woo the god- dess of fortune and adventure rather than any concrete and lovely lady. It was only after he had actually taken the train that he realized he had quite failed to make any arrangements for Mr. Bullen. Williams had had no chance to tell him of the Westerner’s going. He had done his small share CORMICLOOKS (E@)