The Argosy, Vol. 82 No. 2 — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

GETTING AWAY FROM ‘THOMPSON. them—a pistol was pointing steadily in their direction—and in the faint light of the lamp familiar features appeared behind the pistol. “Well, that’s the time,” said Thornton Hill, constable, with sound reason, “TI gotcher both!” CHAPTER XIX. BEHIND THE BARS, At their former meeting the constable had been clothed in army shirt of olive brown, with pleats and pockets and all the rest, which gave him a rather formidable look. He was not so garbed at present. The collar of the nightgown which had been tucked hastily into the familiar trous- ers had been tastefully embroidered in red by some loving hand, as were the cuffs also; and the wild hair and the carpet slip- pers gave him a really comic appearance. Yet neither Wilbur Farnham nor the adorable young woman who leaned so weakly against him burst into merry laugh- ter at the spectacle of Thornton Hill. Had he been clothed as a Zulu chief or as an Arctic explorer, he was armed, he was the law and he had them both! Temporarily, they no more than knew of the existence of the lady in the much flow- ered wrapper who tottered into the room, set her lamp upon a desk just as it was about to fall from her palsied fingers and gasped: “Oh, my laws! Oh, my sakes! Oh, Thornton! Oh, for the land’s sake, Thorn- ton, who’d ever thought—me being left here all alone and a thing like this—” “You just turn up that light a little and don’t you worry none, Miss Codd,”’ the con- stable said sternly. Jane Fayre’s stricken heart, alternately seeking to burst and to dematerialize alto- gether, stopped short! Miss Codd! That would be the justice’s sister, who had witnessed’her terrible wed- ding! And once Jane turned, she would be recognized and the book would be brought to light, did the lady’s memory need any refreshing, and her true identity would be known! Sick and cold, she swayed against Wilbur Farnham, caught his growl, which was meant to be reassuring, and gripped herself determinedly. It would all be over now in a matter of a 271 few seconds and she could not stand the suspense. Jane shut her teeth and sud- denly, defiantly, turned upon the lady. And as suddenly her brain whirled and her heart began to pound again. Small good as the respite might do, she was not yet to be recognized, for this Miss Codd was plump where the other had been lean, and this one’s hair was dark and streaked with gray where the other’s had been sandy. Yet, even by her sudden turn and her stare, Jane had registered a definite impres- sion, for the lady’s hands clutched her bosom and she shrank back crying: “Oh, and a woman burglar! A woman burglar! And—oh! oh, the brazen way she stares at me, Thornton! JI—I—” “Miss Codd, you just collect yourself and don’t you worry none!” the constable re- peated. ‘I’m right here on the job and there ain’t anything going to happen to you now. Whar’s Lem?” ‘“‘ Way over to the fair, Thornton!” Miss Codd faltered. ‘Him and Nettie and Dora and Bob started off yesterday mornin’ and they won’t be back till to-morrow mornin’. They wanted me to keep house and look after the hens, Lem did, and—”’ “T guess they’ll think you looked after it, when you caught a couple o’ burglars!” Thornton Hill chuckled, advancing upon Mr. Farnham. ‘‘Gimme your gun!” “T have no—” Farnham began thickly; then a weak smile came to his lips. “Yes, I have, too. I’d forgotten it!” The constable accepted one automatic pistol with a grunt. “Funny you’d forget it, when you only bought it this afternoon—although the Lord knows where you found it up in these parts. I was saying, not two hours ago, that the only reason I was alive was that you hadn’t no gun!” ‘““You—you seen ’em before?” the lady of the house cried. “Seen ’em!” said Mr. Hill, amazedly. “Why, these two’s the most desperate pair o’ crooks that ever came into the county, Miss Codd! This feller tried to kill me, right out to Lizzie Turner’s place, *bout two o’clock this afternoon, and—”’ “And her such a nice looking young woman, too!” Miss Codd broke in. “I dunno what girls are coming to these days! My cousin Arthur, down in the city, he wrote me last week that his wife’s sister’s daughter—and her a girl brought up as careful as—” GomiGcdooks (C@