Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 2 — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

FIXED BY GEORGE, than once the name of Margery had escaped his lips. Miss Woodbury would doubtless remember that; her very peculiar mind might prompt her to mention it in the con- versation with Dr. Poole which was inevi- table. Or she might not remember. Or Poole, having looked her over, might leave before any conversation was possible, if the lady with kim really happened to be a mere silly girl. That was another phase which George, probably enough, would have to thresh out with Dr. Poole later on—but making the getaway was the one thing now! | ‘‘ All ready, Margery?” he asked quietly. ‘“‘T have been, ever since we came!”’ Mrs. Poole said coldly. “Come on, then, and—”’ “Just a minute!” said the cool voice of the painted lady, rising. They stared at her. Something had shaken the lady out of her remarkable calm. Her eyes were quite startled now. “That clock,” she said. “Jt must have stopped at eight!” “Eh? Yes, it has been stopping at eight for the last thirty years, I believe,’ George said. ‘ That’s only one of its peculiarities. Give it a good shaking at about five minutes to eight every night, and it goes by the rough spot. Good—” “They’re not coming!” breathed Miss Woodbury. “T beg pardon?”’ “T said—just wait a moment, please!”’ the lady murmured. Visibly, because of her expressive eyes, her active brain was working at high speed. It heightened ithe intelligent effect of her mal- treated countenance, too, for an instant sending a pang of real regret through George that one of such obviously good mentality should have fallen so low. Still, he had no time this evening to weep over the mistakes of others; he laid a hand upon Margery’s arm—and in the Woodbury brain decision appeared to take sudden, firm shape. ““ Er—don’t go!” said the lady. ‘We have to!’ George laughed shortly. ‘But you don’t, I assure you,” Miss Woodbury said quickly. ‘I want you to stay here for a little while.” 2Ud ce Why ?”? e: Sense Secaics some friends I ex- pected are very evidently not coming, Have you the correct time?” “It’s about quarter past nine.”’ “Is that possible?” breathed the — lady. ‘“ Then they’ve—will you please take off your things?”’ “T, at least, will not! your horrible—” harshly. “Oh, but you will, I’m sure,” Miss Woodbury corrected, and her voice was smooth as before. “It’s necessary, really. I need somebody here, and the people I ex- IT won’t stay in Margery began, very pected seem to—well, to have taken fright, I suppose.” “Of what?” “Oh, people frighten easily, you know,” Miss Woodbury smiled evasively. “ There is really no cause for alarm. Something “amusing is going to happen here, I am al- most certain, and I really must have help in watching it! Come! Take off those heavy, wet things!” Much as she may have loathed him a few minutes back, it is undeniable that Mar- gery drew closer to George Dare—and George, be it said, understood only too well and took an equally precautionary step to- ward Margery. ? Coupled with the hideous overload of paint and all the rest of it, incoherent talk like this meant, almost indubitably, just one thing: a mind deranged! Very fre- quently, the sanest appearing and most convincing are the most dangerous; it is the plausible, smiling conversationalist, as a rule, who snatches out the concealed knife and creates a vacancy on the asylum’s med- ical staff! So George Dare favored the lady with a very bland and soothing smile and shook his head. ‘“We’d like to stay, awfully well, of course,” he said gently, but firmly, “ but we are—er—due elsewhere.” “You were not due elsewhere when you came in here a few minutes ago with your friend!’ Miss Woodbury reminded him. ‘Oh, but that was different, of course,” George purred. “We had no idea that we were breaking in on you, and—”’ ‘Don’t misunderstand me, please! I’m (E(0) .OO AAI <S (E@)