The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 1 — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

O vey ee Lawrence Perry Author of “31754,” “‘Where All Clues Led,” ete. SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTERS ALREADY PRINTED. AROLD FINCH, partner in the young real estate firm of Finch & Preston, makes the acquaint- ance of Cecil Hamilton at Narragansett Pier. Being in search of a wife with money, he follows her to Southampton, where Preston also turns up and makes a favorable impression on the girl, much to Finch’s chagrin, who finally persuades him to quit the field. Learning that there is some mystery in Miss Hamilton’s life, and determined to find out its nature, Finch even goes to the length of invading her room at night, where he discovers from documents that if she marries anybody but Swandorf, a man of sixty, she forfeits her fortune. As Finch realizes this direful fact there is a stir from the bed, and by an incautious movement the intruder overturns a table, which comes to the floor with a crash. -_ CHAPTER IX. FINCH’S WAY OUT OF IT. HEN the room reechoed to a piercing scream. Finch, with his hat pulled down, had reached the window and started to climb out when he heard foot- steps running along the balcony. There were sounds of feet in the hall, too. Miss Hamilton was still raising her voice in shrill terror. Shut off from escape both by door and window, Finch hesitated only a second; then, leaning down near the floor, he whipped a match from his pocket; striking it, he deliberately ap- plied the flame to the lace curtains, and they went up in a puff. This story began in QA Finch forthwith sprang to his feet and began to pull at the curtains, shouting at the top of his lungs for assistance. He had one curtain down and was trampling upon it, at the same time jerking at the other when the burly form of a man appeared in the window. | ‘““What’s going on in here?” he cried. ‘Hurry up!” cried Finch. ‘ Are you all asleep? Get a fire extinguisher.” He had the other curtain under his feet now and was stamping vigorously upon it. The house detective leaped into the room and proceeded to the assistance of the young man. Miss Hamilton mean- while had arisen and thrown on a dressing- the October Argosy. 129 CORNICLOOO (C@)