The Argosy, Vol. 82 No. 2 — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

GETTING “Tl get him! I'll head him off!” he called in passing. ‘“He’s running around the corner like a madman, but—” The other corridor swallowed Mr. Hap- worthy. CHAPTER V. SHOCK AND A WARNING, pips parted, Jane gazed after her blue- eyed guest as he leaped jauntily from her vision. Farnham hurried to her side with: “What did he say?” “That Cragg was running down the street like a madman, I think.”’ “Why?” ‘Why should he all but faint at the sight of me and later decide that the car was coming to pieces and then decide that it wasn’t—and all the rest of it?”’ Jane asked, stepping down. “I don’t know. He’s an unusual character, isn’t he?” Mr. Farnham nodded briefly. “Rather too unusual to be driving a car that’s carrying you—er—women, I mean,” he said. ‘It might be as well to let him run himself out and get somebody else to operate the car, or—ah, Hapworthy caught him.” Hapworthy had. Quite breathless, but vastly satisfied with his performance, Mr. Hapworthy appeared, leading Cragg toward them from the entrance of the corridor, a firm grip on the chauffeur’s arm. The latter was breathless, too, but far from self-satisfied; a grim, gloomy mood had apparently overtaken him. His head drooped and he walked sullenly; but as his eye met Jane’s across the place, he straight- ened up and personified injured innocence. Farnham snorted. “Did he steal that grip from you?” he muttered. “It’s his own, I think,” said Jane. ‘And I think—pardon me—that he’s go- ing to try putting something over on you because you’re a woman. Do you want me to find out what ails him?” “Would you?” Jane asked gratefully. “Watch me,” smiled Mr. Farnham. Mr. Hapworthy stopped before them with his captive and permitted his eyes to roll in Jane’s direction. ‘“Here’s your man,” he announced. “He was making about sixty miles an hour on foot, but I got him and brought him back.” AWAY FROM THOMPSON. 213 “Were you leaving us, Cragg?” Mr. Farn- ham asked crisply; and if he had expected to jar Mr. Cragg he failed dismally, for that gentleman, evidently relieved that he might turn his back on Jane Fayre, looked up from his lesser altitude rather defiantly. “Why would I leave?” he inquired. ‘““Mr. Hapworthy says that you were run- ning?” “Certainly I was running,” their unusual driver responded readily. “Why would I keep you people waiting any longer than I had to?” “Waiting for what, Cragg?”’ “To get the car fixed,” Mr. Cragg said, facing him with no trace of the perturba- tion that had marked his every word to Jane. “I was going after a wrench—that’s all. A special kind of wrench you have to use on this car.” He even smiled. “I was hustling as fast as I could, and this gentle- man rushes out and grabs me like I was a crook.” “Yes, but how about the bag you're carrying?” “Always keep that with me, boss. There’s a lot of little things in there I wouldn’t want to leave lying around a garage—keep- sakes and so on. Can I go after the wrench now?” The mechanic who had first advanced was near them now; he smiled oddly. “What sort of wrench was this?” he asked. “You’ve got all sorts here, I take it?” Mr. Farnham suggested. “Every kind that was ever made, I guess.” Mr. Cragg turned upon him with a smile that was at once bland, brazen and child- like. “Why, I didn’t know that!” said he. “I understood that you folks had almost no machine shop here.’’ And he shrugged his shoulders and re- laxed, plainly relieved to find the establish- ment so well equipped. Mr. Farnham, hav- ing considéred him for a moment with a cynical smile, turned his attention to Jane, frowned at what he saw and led her aside. ‘Please don’t look so puzzled and wor- ried,” he said. “A girl like you never should have attempted a party like this, but if you'll just leave things to me we’ll get no end of fun out of it before we’re through.” “Do you—think so?” Jane smiled, almost wistfully. “T know it!” the young man said heart- COMMICLOOOKS (C@