The Argosy, Vol. 82 No. 2 — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

GETTING AWAY FROM THOMPSON, “T dunno, miss,” said the boy. ‘The clerk just told me to page the place for you and say that the party who telephoned said not to go any farther in the car, but to stay here if you were here. I dunno who it was.” But Jane—whiter than the snowy table- cloth and less able to move than the table itselfi—Jane knew! It was Thompson! CHAPTER VI. THE FIRST CRIME. HE liveried lad, having done his full duty and waited a few fruitless seconds for evidences of its appreciation, bowed po- litely and moved on again. Mrs. James Hapworthy, rousing from deep broodings, called sharply: “Boy, are you sure that a man tele- phoned?” “T ain’t sure, ma’am—only what the clerk said.” “Are you sure that it was Miss Fayre herself or was it some other member of her party?” The boy stared at her and scratched his head. “Tt couldn’t say,” he muttered. “I sup- pose it was Miss Fayre, lady, but—” Mrs. Hapworthy turned slowly back to her husband, her bosom heaving and her eyes snapping; very carefully she examined him, and he flushed annoyedly and smiled his deprecating smile. Mr. Farnham, turning impatiently from a glance at her, looked keenly at Jane. Mary Callum, viewing the matter from her own angle, cried suddenly and happily: “Oh, our trip is spoiled! Our lovely trip is ruined!” “Why?” Jane managed. ‘Why, if you’ve been called home, dear, we couldn’t think of going on without you and—” Aunt Hettie sniffed. “That isn’t a message from home,” she said significantly—so significantly, indeed, that all Jane’s attention went to her. “That telephone call came from a man who is very anxious to talk with Jane!”’ ‘““Oh—who?” escaped the hostess. Aunt Hetty surveyed her with gloomy triumph. “You're registered as the owner of the car?’ she said. “I knew he had the license numbers; I saw him taking them down. His 217 little red bread wagon was standing in front of a house, just outside of Hudson. Your chauffeur never looked back, but I did. We smashed that wagon into flinders!” In her sudden relief Jane laughed quite hysterically, because she had fancied for a moment that Aunt Hettie knew the truth and was about to lay it bare; and Farnham, catching the hysterical note, frowned and asked: “Were you expecting a message of any sort, Miss Fayre?” ‘“I—no! No!” ‘I’m sure that it is nothing serious,” Mr. Farnham rose suddenly. “I'll go and get the details from the clerk. The boy very likely forgot more than half of what they told him to say.” He moved briskly from the room and disappeared in the direction of the office. Jane, despite the theory of the red bread wagon, upon which Aunt Hettie was enlarg- ing with such melancholy gusto, shut her teeth and sat back silently to wait for fur- ther tidings. Mr. Farnham, of course, would learn nothing at all. A gentleman of Thompson’s keen criminal intelligence, telephoning with Thompson’s fell intent, would hardly give his name and his reasons; in fact, as Jane saw but too clearly, Thompson was relying on the mysterious absence of any name to serve his purpose. All he wished, now that he had gained a clue to Jane’s flight, was to delay her until he could catch up and then, on the other hand, Mr. Farnham might learn everything there was to learn. Jane glared toward the door for an in- stant and wondered why he did not return; he must have been gone fully fifteen min- utes now. And it was quite possible that the telephoning Thompson had held the wire in the hope that Jane might try to con- verse with the sender of the message; per- haps that was why Mr. Farnham tarried so long. Perhaps he was talking to Thompson now and— “You'll excuse me for just a minute?” she said, rising suddenly with what was in- tended for a bright, apologetic little smile. ‘Perhaps I can help Mr. Farnham piece to- gether the mystery.” “Ji there’s anything I can do—” Mr. Hapworthy began eagerly, rising in his turn. “There is nothing that you can do!” his wife informed him. ‘‘Permit Miss Fayre to attend to her own concerns.” CORMMICLOOOKS (C@