The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

MESQUITE RANCH. pool the next morning; and the snake- skin belt had been discovered in the red lacquer vase at which Radford had looked with interest the day before. Stratton was not disposed to think that Ted had pushed Bullen over the wall and into the pool. But he did believe, when Bess described the place, that Ted had hastened Bullen’s de- parture in some way; and the man had climbed over the balustrade thinking he was escaping. It was more with the intention of making his directions to Miss Thorpe binding than for any belief he had that she knew more than she told of her pa- tient that he pointed out to her the possible suspicion that might center on her as the last one known to have been with Bullen. The gift to her little friend might, in the eyes of the sus- picious, seem to afford a reason for her wishing Bullen to disappear. Midge had thoroughly frightened Miss Thorpe. She had a New Eng- land spinster’s horror of being in- volved in a scandal. Now she faced the need of thinking up some explana- tion of her recent conduct which would satisfy the clever mind and blind the keen intuitions of her friend. She could not come out and tell Natalie that the danger of being sus- pected as a murderer hung over Ted Radford. It would be a violation of her professional obligations and her friendly fidelity to Dr. Stratton. Yet she could not allow the interest already awakened in Radford to develop into something more. Bess and Stratton, fighting the in- terest in each other that grew more and more importunate, bound them- selves in a kind of protective pact to defend Radford from suspicion. To Stratton it seemed that Bess acted from a principle of loyalty to the man she was engaged to marry. His own friendship stretched and strained to. assume an equally brave stand. Struggling against themselves, they worked for Ted. And now Alice Thorpe was fighting 773 for light by which she might see the way to protect Natalie from Radford and still keep her faith with Stratton. Probably each fighter of a battle be- lieves his the deadliest; but Midge Stratton was being shaken to depths by his that Miss Thorpe scarcely knew existed. Bess Hetherington confused and excited him. To have her there in his private office, talking to him of her lover, with her dusky eyes heavy from worry and her soft lips trembling now and then, was almost overpowering. With a forlorn-hope kind of per- sistence he kept telling himself that she loved Radford and was proving it splendidly by her stanch loyalty un-. der the present circumstances. ‘What shall I do about answering his letters?’’ she asked suddenly. , Midge was half-maddened by being asked to advise on such a matter. He grew excited, angry even. ‘If you love him—”’ he began, then paused because of the look she gave him. ‘A. girl isn’t apt to love a man she can suspect of—of anything!” she said. “If you really wouldn't suspect—’”’ *Then—I suppose—I don’t really love him!” she interrupted wearily. The listless confession stirred Midge mightily, stirred him so deeply that he mistook the excitement it created for indignation at her deflection when he had given her credit for such lofty loyalty. ~ “* You've discovered it very sudden- ly!’ ‘he exclaimed. She lifted her slumberous eyes to his, and there was a question in them which she seemed tooedispirited to put into words. “ You expected to marry him—’’ “Yes, I do,” she interrupted. “ Great guns! you’re going to marry aman you do not love and whom you suspect of crime!” he exclaimed. “] thought—if I did see you—you might be some help—comfort or some- loved him, you COMIC OOOKS (C@) Je kU OTe Pre eee