The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 1 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

A CHRISTMAS MENACE. No alarming sound interrupted the quiet of the night. ‘We must hurry, Larry, or some one —not Santa Claus—but big and bad and cruel will get us,” she whispered in a voice that made the boy shiver. At last, really frightened, Larry’s clumsy fingers helped his mother’s trem- bling ones as she hurried him into his clothes. Then came his hat and coat and mittens. His mother made him go as far as the kitchen door in his stocking feet. There she pinned a shawl over her head, and putting on Larry’s shoes, they started out. The wind swept the door out of her hand. It banged shut with a noise that echoed through the silent night like thunder. They did not wait to learn whether any one else heard it. Mrs. Mullens grabbed Larry up. Terror lending her strength, she started off over the slippery path that had been shoveled for her earlier that evening. At last exhausted she was forced to put Larry down. Then slipping, sliding, and often falling, they continued along the narrow way. It was only a short distance to the Greens’, but to Mrs. Mullens and Larry that night it was the longest journey of their lives. In places the wind had drifted the snow across the path till it was nearly impassable. At last the house stood grim and silent before them. With renewed strength Mrs. Mullens rapped loudly on the door. It seemed hours before a head ap- peared at the window. “Why, bless my heart if it ain’t Mrs. Mullens and— woman alive, you ain’t lugged Larry out a night like this— whatever—” “Hush, hush,” and Mrs. Mullens looked back with quick alarm in the di- rection of her own house, “ but hurry. Oh, won’t you be quick?” ‘she begged. The head disappeared and soon the door was thrown open to the two shiver- ing figures. When the kitchen fire had _ been started the Green family sat around in various hastily grabbed-up coverings to hear Mrs. Mullens’s tale. 89 She explained everything from finding the strangers on her return to their re- tiring to rest. “And who do you think he is — the man who wants to take my Larry with him to the city?” she demanded fiercely as she ended her story. | The Green family shook their heads in breathless silence. “The devil himself — Dr. Jackman.” Richard “Never heard the devil’s other name before,” replied Mr. Green. ‘““He’s as nice appearing gentleman as ever you met,” continued Mrs. Mullens. “IT never suspected who he was till I picked up his suit-case to take into the parlor where he was to sleep. There it was in big black letters— Dr. Richard Jackman.”’ “But who is Dr. Richard Jackman?” asked Mr. Green curiously. ““T remember something about him,” said Mrs. Green; “ he was the biggest doctor in the city till he let a baby die.” “He didn’t let the poor lamb die,” broke in Mrs. Mullens wrathfully. ‘“ He killed it, he did. That’s what the papers said—and it was just plain murder—and you’d never think it to look at him— and his daughter the gentlest creature you ever saw—a wolf in sheep’s clothing that’s what he is—and I* want you to keep Larry till after they’re gone.” “Vou better stay, too,” urged Mrs. Green hospitably. ‘““And Mary over there alone?” de- manded Mrs. Mullens. ‘I oughtn’t to have left her this long, for goodness only | knows what arts he may be practising this very minute.’’ With this sudden, terrifying thought Mrs. Mullen’s hurried off. Again urged by fear she stumbled and slipped over the snowy path back to the - EOPMIG OOKS (E@)