The Argosy, Vol. 82 No. 2 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

202 “Well, what on earth—” “Horace, hush!” Jane’s aunt implored. “Can you understand that the most import- ant thing of all is to keep this dreadful thing secret? Can’t you see that just one breath of such a thing would absolutely ruin Jane? What—oh, what would people say!” “Tf anything leaks out, the truth will leak out!”’ Uncle Horace declared. “I'll see to that!” “Yes, but who would ever believe the truth?” Mrs. Porter-Preston asked, with some reason. “Can’t you fancy the way people would smile at that story, behind our backs? Think of the way they might —yes, and they would!—construe it, and— oh, Jane! Jane!” Tears flowed suddenly from the elder lady’s eyes. Uncle Horace Porter-Preston rubbed his chin and looked rather dazedly at his niece, while Jane herself gazed miser- ably back at him. “Why on earth didn’t you scream for help?” demanded the gentleman. ‘Why didn’t you throw yourself on the justice’s protection, once you were in the house.” Jane’s lips quivered. “Uncle,” she said, ‘“you don’t understand —nobody could without seeing ‘Thompson and the gun he carries. I thought of doing that—at least, I believe I did—but we’d all have been stone dead within ten seconds!” Mr. Porter-Preston pursed his lips and considered Jane very thoughtfully. In all her life, she had, never told a lie; that he knew. And she was anything but the sort of young woman to cherish a secret romance and seek to cover it with such a tale as this. The story of her marriage might be wild to the point of incredibility, but it was cold fact nevertheless. Also, it struck Uncle Horace, Jane just now was the prettiest and most miserable young woman in the coun- try—and abruptly he ee his fingers and laughed shortly. “Don't. huddle down there as if the last hope had vanished, child,’”’ he admonished. “Tt amounts to nothing at all in actual fact. Marriage under such circumstances is no marriage at all. I'll see Dresser to-morrow and learn whether it is necessary to have the thing formally annulled.” “And if it is, it must be done without publicity!” Aunt Martha put in frenziedly. “And you, Jane, dear! You're excited and unstrung. Be sure—oh, be sure! that not THE ARGOSY. one word of this dreadful affair escapes you!” ‘“T’ve kept pretty quiet so far, haven’t I?” Jane sighed drearily. It was characteristic of Uncle Horace that now, with the first shock over and him- self thoroughly awake again, he should open the brief-case and scan the titles of several documents; but he pushed the case aside almost immediately and arose. ‘IT suppose the first thing is to find Boggs again,” he muttered. “I kicked him out of the house too soon.” Jane shuddered. Her uncle, with a medi- tative nod, left the room suddenly; and for a matter of minutes Jane sat in silence, con- templating the broken figure of her aunt, who melted into tears again at the moment of Mr. Porter-Preston’s vanishing. As a matter of fact, Aunt Martha rather puzzled Jane just now; Aunt Martha had never been married by a burglar nor had her tender ribs ever known the blood-freez- ing contact of a pistol muzzle. Aunt Martha had not put in the last year wondering just what might be the proper thing to do, starting every time the name of Thompson was mentioned and trying, time after time, to confide in her Uncle Horace without feel- ing sure that a bullet would come through — the window as she talked. Now that the dreadful secret was out, indeed, sweet relief surged all through Jane Fayre; she knew many of the sensations of the murderer who has carried his crime locked in his breast until conscience dragged it to the light; and she was smiling her real old smile again and on the point of going over to comfort Aunt Martha when Mr. Porter-Preston bustled in once more. “He’s gone—Boggs!” he announced, while his eye strayed to the brief-case and reluctantly . strayed away again. ‘Dixon watched him, it seems, for fear he’d come back. He ran to the corner and jumped on a down-town car. I'll have detectives after him first thing in the morning, though —and as soon as we can find him we’ll have an accurate idea of Thompson’s movements. If he is likely to land here to-morrow, I want to know the time, so that you’ll be on hand to identify him and—” As if drawn upward by a steel cable, Jane left her chair! Numbing relief and the soothing reaction of her confession left her; Jane’s eyes dilated rather crazily and her mouth opened wide with: “What?” Gomichbook (C@)