The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 1 — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

THANKS TO THE B. R. T. The girl’s hand rested on his arm and she looked up at him with the old pa- thetic, fast-winking earnestness. “The box—I know now, about the box!” she said. “You know where it is?” “ ‘Yes—here! See?” She opened the little handbag and slipped one slender hand to the bottom. She held up for Dr. Bowen’s inspection what seemed to be an ordinary house-key and smiled quite delightedly. “TI know now. I can find it. I can find the box now,” she assured him. “Let’s go and find it, then,” Dr. Bowen said quietly. Without warning the smile disap- peared. Sullen suspicion came suddenly into the beautiful eyes and the girl drew away from him. | “ You—coming?” she muttered. “ YVes.”’ “Oh!” said Miss Catterson, as she walked out of the room and down the stairs. He had been wrong, of course. The affliction was perfectly genuine, although more and more he doubted its seriousness and alleged incurability.. Dr. Bowen, as the girl came to the front door, took her arm gently and led her back. “We're going out the lower way,” he murmured. ‘ This door’s locked, and—” “ Oh!” escaped Miss Catterson as. the billiard-room came into sight. “ They— they are dead!” . “ Not a bit of it, my dear!” chuckled the doctor. well-earned rest. This way out, and we'll leave the doors open and give them some air in their bedroom. There!” _ He closed the gate and smiled appre- ciatively-at the big, black houses about and the starry sky overhead. It had been some time since he had enjoyed a good look at them and the sight was grateful. Miss Catterson, however, was giving small attention to the beauties of the out- doors; fine head up, slim shoulders squared, she was moving directly back to Montague Street. “ They’re just taking a little . 39 ‘You know where you’re going?” Dr. - Bowen inquired. “I know, about the box. alone!” said the girl. ce But” “Let me alone! Let me alone!” Helen repeated, harshly and irritably. The doctor fell into wise silence. As a matter of fact, she did seem to have a pretty definite idea this time. They had turned into Montague Street and were walking briskly back toward the Borough Hall. There, to be sure, was the hall itself, and now they were crossing to the far side of Fulton Street, with its ele- vated structure. They turned up-town and walked on in complete silence! It was ground that they had covered once before that night, although the pre- vious trip had been aboard the Flatbush Avenue car. Here were the eternal shops, black and still now—over there were the big department-stores, and unless Dr. Bowen’s sense of location erred, the street over there was the same old Flatbus Avenue. | Perhaps the poor muddled mind had been nearly right before; perhaps they were going back to Prospect Park for a further hunt for Catterson’s devilish box. They were not, though, if Flatbush Ave- nue was the only route; they were to keep straight up Fulton Street and trudge on and on and on—whither? Dr. Bowen was beyond guessing, but it seemed to him that they were taking an infernally long walk. He glanced at the girl and found the adorable little chin set with determination; she knew where she was going! Let me house on the heights. Why had she gone there? Why had she been admitted? And why had he been admitted and dined, without a ques- tion or the answering of a question? Later on in the day,if all went well with Catterson’s five hundred dollars, and his lease of life was thereby renewed, and if this walk did not land them at the other end of Long Island, Dr. Bowen was go- Dr. Bowen, marching on- ward, let his thoughts drift back to the EOLMK NOON Ar ‘ a