Argosy, Vol. 112, No. 2 — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

eur ee yee ee, ee ee ined —" iat ae ll - A wa! 3 a -s = 4 as oy = — Ps - . = = — — Coe aes EVERYTHING BUT THE TRUTH. rest. It is perfectly possible for me to take strenuous measures with both of you. It is my purpose to do nothing of the kind, unless forced to them. Nevertheless,” and he paused quite dramatically, ‘“ the strenu- ous measures are all at hand if necesssary.”’ ‘““ Oh!” gasped Annabel. “Your powers of judgment have not been altogether shattered. Hence, I leave the future in your own hands, as regards treatment. A little self-control and tracta- bility, and I shall use the most gentle measures. A little violence on your part and—” He spread his hands before him, by way of indicating what might be expect- ed. William drew one deep breath. ‘And when our friends find us, doc, and we get out of this, let me say that the things that ‘ll happen to you will—” ‘“Suppose we leave that topic also for future discussion?’ smiled the alienist, and returned to his desk. ‘“ Fifteen!” “T’ll take off the jacket up there, doc- tor?” Peter inquired. ‘““Eh? Oh, yes,” the doctor said absently. The nurse was walking Annabel, limp and white, ahead of her. Peter whirled Bill Hervey around and marched him after, a poor chunk of humanity with a brain temporarily almost as helpless as the arms in the canvas! By no possibility could this thing really be happening—and still they were walking right along, just as if it were solid fact. There were the broad, dusky stairs, with Miss Wray pausing to turn on one forlorn little light and then urging Annabel upward. Yes, and William’s feet were upon them now, and he, too, was ascending; and now all four of them stood in the upper corridor and another little light snapped into being, to accentuate the vastness of the place. “Fifteen?” Peter queried. “The corner one, straight ahead,” Miss Wray snapped and led the way. The door swung open, showing only blackness beyond. There was a key in the inner side, too, and Miss Wray removed it to the outer side, thereafter shoving Anna- bel into the gloom. A pause, and further lights appeared within and William, having been prodded into motion again by the stony Peter, was also in number fifteen. turing Company! en Se ee So a sa SS ee He looked around dazedly, as Peter- worked over the fastening of his jacket. This mighty apartment might have been designed by the king of the giants for his own bedchamber; or perhaps the builder of the place had planned it for visiting royalty, since such rooms always seem to run to size. Half a mile or so over there stood a four- poster; about the same distance in the other direction, the open door revealed Miss Wray switching on further lights in a spacious bath-room; again about the same distance overhead appeared a ceiling ornate with fresco work. Oh, it was a fine old place for anybody whose tastes ran to space; but William Hervey, free at last, failed to find a single thrill of appreciation within him. ‘You needn’t stick out your jaw at me like that, Peter,’ he said rather weakly. “|’m not going to start anything.” ‘“You’d best not,” Peter said briefly. “The bell’s over there. Ring if you want anything, sir, and please don’t ring unneces- sary. We’re short of help here, and I’m too busy to do much running. Dinner I] be sent up to ‘em, I take it?” he inquired of the nurse. “ Certainly,” Miss Wray responded. She had deposited Mrs. Elton in an elderly tapestry armchair; she seemed un- aware of that young person’s faint, scared whimpering, as she cast a capable eye about the room. She nodded and motioned Peter toward the door—and when he had stepped out she followed without a single comment, and they heard the key snap outside. And they were prisoners! Now the nice thing, the obviously proper thing, of course, would have been for Wil-_ liam to break into violent self-determina- tion, small though his responsibility for the insane situation, and for Annabel to pro- test with equal violence that the blame was all her own. Yet, while neither was of an inordinately selfish nature, it is the fact that when William had dropped limply into a chair of his own, they merely sat and stared at one another for a solid minute, each thinking fiery, self-centered thoughts. His business! The Hervey Manufac- William’s teeth ground comichooks.com