The Argosy, Vol. 83 No. 1 — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

HAMPTON OF in an awful hurry; he didn’t wait more’n fifteen minutes.” “That’s too bad,” said Jerry dryly, but the old lady didn’t perceive the quality of ‘the tone. ‘‘Well, he will probably come iagain, some time, and then perhaps I can ‘explain my absence to him.” ' “Oh, he didn’t say he had any appoint- ment with you,” she rejoined. ‘I don’t think he was a bit offended.” “T hope not, I’m sure,” Jerry murmured vaguely, and the grandmother declared that his ways were very peculiar when he was suffering from loss of sleep. Breakfast was scarcely over when Mil- ton Delroy ‘“‘just dropped in” again. He exchanged flattering greetings with the grandmother and then apologized for de- siring to see Jerry alone on a little matter of business. At his suggestion they walked into the garden and paced up and down the patch while they talked. “T don’t want to bore you, Hampton,” said the older man, ‘‘but I can’t help feel- ing that you are really a good friend of mine. We understand each other better than we used to, I believe, and—I scarcely know why—but I think of you constantly as one of my really good friends. You have done some very gallant and valuable services for Eugenia and me, and—” “T’m sure you exaggerate them,’ pro- tested Jerry, interrupting the rhetorical flow. “But I’m very glad you feel so cordial toward me, Mr. Delroy.” “Ves, I do feel cordial toward you; I do indeed!” declared the other, eager to go on with his speech. “If I didn’t feel that way, Hampton, I shouldn’t be here this morning on the errand that has brought me. I want to ask you bluntly— and you needn’t feel in the least obliged to answer me—if you have seen Exmoor.” Jerry raised his eyebrows. 3 “Well, yes, I have seen him,” he an- swered slowly, and reserved further de- tails. “I saw him yesterday afternoon.” Delroy scowled in perplexity. “That’s odd!” he exclaimed. late in the afternoon?” “Why, it was rather late,” replied “How THE HEIGHTS. 59 Jerry; “it must have been as late as six o'clock.” “That’s it!” cried Delroy, better satis- fied; “‘I think that explains it. Would you mind telling me, Hampton, if you—well, did you happen to talk with the man about me, or did you by chance take my part in any argument with him?” For the sake of getting all possible in- formation Jerry forbore to explain that he had seen Exmoor, but had not spoken with him. “No,” he answered, “I can’t say that your name was even mentioned. ‘There was surely no argument, and I had no op- portunity to take your part.” Delroy caught a favorable note in the last sentence. “Ah, but I believe you would do so if you had the opportunity,” he said. “Tf I could see justice on your side, I should probably speak for it in an argu- ment,’’ admitted the younger man. “That’s it—justice!” cried Delroy. “I assure you, Hampton, that there is rarely any justice or right on Exmoor’s side of a case. But let’s not speak in abstractions. I came to talk with you most confiden- tially, and I don’t mean to keep anything from you. Exmoor sent me a message late yesterday afternoon, by special post, and asked me to meet him at a certain place this morning at nine-thirty.” “It’s nearly that now,” observed Jerry, glancing at his watch. “Ves, but the appointment was can- celed this morning,” Delroy explained. ‘He couldn’t trust the mail, it seems, so he sent a private messenger to me at seven o’clock with a letter telling me to disre- gard the first message until I heard from him again. That was the extent of the communications; they were brief and simply worded.” Jerry pondered deeply, weighing his own position. “You told me that Exmoor was trying to ruin you, I believe,” he said at last, “and from what I saw the other night I gather that he got possession of some- thing that gave him more power to do so.” CORNICGLOOOKS - (C@)