The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 1 — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

THE MOTIVE. “Tf you had any money in it,” sug- gested the detective, “ you might count "ae She drew out bills of various denomina- tions and ran over them carelessly, turn ing to say that they were all there. ‘‘ Now your jewelry,” the man went on. She followed his instructions and then went hastily through the various drawers. Then she looked about the bureau, finally picking up the trunk key. Her eyes flashed to the trunk. The lid was down, the lock in place. “There is absolutely nothing missing or out of the way,” she said, “‘ except that I find this trunk key out of place. I thought I put it inthe lower drawer last night. Why, here,” she added, “are other keys, lying all about the bureau. I am quite sure I put them all away before retiring.” The detective, to Finch’s great relief, laughed heartily. “ That’s what they all say, miss,” he chuckled. ‘‘ Probably you left the keys out yourself. Anyway, what would any one want with keys when all that money was lying around loose.” He glanced at Finch. “T reckon I'll give your friend a vote of thanks—and we'll go to bed. Good night.” As Finch followed the detective to the door, the girl advanced to him. “Mr. Finch, I wish to thank you,” she said. ‘“‘ You have indeed placed me in your debt. I hope I can repay you some time.”’ ‘“Perhaps you can.” genially. For a long time after he had gone Cecil Hamilton sat in the darkness thinking, a frown gradually settling upon her. face. Finally as she lay down she spoke half audibly. ‘Now what in the world was that man doing in my room? he up to? Or was he really my bene- factor?” She went to asleep with the determina- tion to ascertain one way or another, be- Finch nodded What rascality was ° 131 lieving that Finch’s future actions might throw light upon his behavior of the eve- ning. And she was right. CHAPTER X. RUSHING MATTERS, INCH went to bed rather unnerved over his narrow escape and consider- ably ill-at-ease over what he had learned concerning Miss Hamilton’s status with regard to matrimony. He would, of course, continue his efforts to win her affection, because—well, be- cause men of sixty years old have a habit of contracting diseases, and, if anything were to happen to Swandorf, why, it would be just as well for him to be in the proper strategic position. On the whole the risk he had taken was worth while; he felt rather clever about it. making an unnecessary racket he would have escaped without a bit of trouble. As it was, he no doubt would receive thanks from the hotel management and had earned Cecil Hamilton’s gratitude. These results, and his solving of the Had it not been for his stupidity in. mystery which surrounded the girl, had - fully repaid him for everything. When he went down for breakfast in the morning Miss Hamilton was already at table. She beckoned him to her, ‘Good morning, Mr. Finch,” she said, ‘can you not breakfast at my table?”’ Finch assured her that nothing would give him greater pleasure. He sat down with, a smile, asking her if she were any the worse for her experience of the night. As a matter of fact she was not. She made him feel that he had indeed saved her life, and that through this he had aroused in her the most grateful emo- tions. : : ‘““ Oh, it was nothing at all,” he assured her. “If the room had been filled with flames and I had had the opportunity of - really saving you from peril at the risk of my life, that would have been some- thing really worth while. As it was—” CORICLOOCKS (E@)