Argosy, Vol. 112, No. 2 — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

=a ee nn simian, horrible cruelty and cunning of the hairy giant! Yet his helper she had cer- - tainly been—willingly. She had worked miles! ~ _ board. with him over something; she had stood by and seen the visitor murdered — she had gone from there to open the window of his prison room—far into the night they had conferred, and at the end she had come literally within an inch of that terrible fate —from which he had saved her. A sudden movement startled him. He had become so engrossed in his thoughts that he had forgotten to keep watch of her. Her eyes opened and she started out of his arm. “Why!” she exclaimed. ‘“‘ Where—what —what is happening, Mr. Tarton?”’ “ You fainted,” he explained. ‘“ A police- man was coming. It wouldn’t have done to have him speak to us. This taxi came along and—there was really nothing else to do, you see.’ She was sileft for a moment. Then she | Ten’,” croaked a voice from the box. “see. But where are we going?”’ Tarton hesitated. “Well,” he began, cult. I couldn’t—” The taxi stopped suddenly with scream- ing brakes, and the door was flung open from outside. ‘“‘Seventy-nine West a Hunnered an’ ¢é Srx- “it was rather diffi- . ‘pinety, mister.’ have said that. CHAPTER VI. UNDER COVER, EST One Hundred and Ten!” ex- claimed the girl, shrinking. “ That’s You have brought me—”’ “There was nothing else,’’ argued Tar- ton, desperately. ‘“‘ I just told you. If that iceman had found us—you know what would have happened. And just then this car came along. It was the only hope. I had to tell him something.” “ Of course,” she murmured. “I shouldn’t Is this your—”’ “This is my house—I mean, where I I told the driver you were my sister.” THE ARGOSY. “Oh! Then—” ‘““] think we’d better get out, if you feel strong enough. He’s gettmg impatient. The , noise of the engine may waken some one.” Out on the curbstone, under the corner arc, Tarton produced the solitary ten-spot that he fortunately hadn’t exchanged for a pair of shoes or put in toward a suit or spent for any other of a hundred things, and mutely watched the driver’s nimble fingers take all of it but three ten. Wordless, they waited while he swung into the street and drove off in a clatter and cloud of smoke. Tarton turned to the girl. ‘ It’s four thirty,” he said, glancing at his watch. ‘In an hour Mrs. Contestable will be up. She has three early breakfasters— of whom I’m not one,” he added, smiling slightly. ‘‘ There are some chairs in the parlor that, while not downlike, are certain- ly softer than the pavement. We can sit down and wait. It won’t seem very long after—”’ She interrupted him impulsively, her hand on his arm. “Ym afraid I ought not to—won’t it be terribly hard for you to explain? This is a bachelor establishment—isn’t it?” “ Well,’ admitted Tarton, “ there arén’t many ladies, but—’’ ‘“And your landlady is one of the very particular ones—’’ Tarton smiled broadly. . ‘The house has an unimpeachable repu- tation—and I am perhaps the most spotless of its inhabitants. But that only makes it easier—” ies How?” ‘* Because she will believe sonia I tell her. She knows nothing of me personally,” he explained rapidly—‘ of my friends or family, I mean. You are my sister. You have been visiting acquaintances in—in the Bronx. I was there last evening. There was a dance. We went out for a stroll— lost our way in—er—the woods. You be- came ill—I took you into a drug-store till you recovered. Then, it being so late, you were nervous about returning to your — friend’s house—you begged me not to leave you—became hysterical and insisted that I take you home with me. And so to humor | you—” » 4 r eh 0 fe ee Sita” 4%, { ber Aes iv rhait ms i Wi/a had -, a pa? eae 7X PIP. . ot tn , Sita Me? pA AL PAA ea