Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 2 — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

206 pleaded, astonishingly. “ I—I never saw a woman look—like that before!” 7 “JT never did myself!’ George Dare mumbled, as he dropped limply, dazedly, into a chair. Their comments, apparently, did not even reach Miss Woodbury; her whole attention was upon her victim. MDaintily, she took a gold-tipped cigarette from the little gold case that dangled from her chain; daintily she selected a match from the little stand on the table, and lit the scandalous thing. Then, with plain enjoyment, she blew a soft, aromatic cloud across the table, and smiled again—and George Dare fairly caught his breath, not because of the smoke, but because of the shameless aura that fairly blazed from her! Why, for sheer disreputability he had never seen her equal, even on the stage; she was the worst of all that can be bad in woman! And _ he, however innocently, had been the means of bringing Margery Poole into the same room with—this! “You're blind, are you not, George?” she asked softly. c¢ No! 3) “Look at me, then—look at me care- fully.” “I have been doing that for some time.” “Reallyy Then “how ‘hot’ do you think you could make things for me? You mean notoriety and prosecution, and all that sort of thing, I take it? I wish you’d do something of the kind, George—really. I’ve been dull lately. And those things I’ve always found pleasant and—er—profit- able in the end.” George said nothing. ‘One makes so many valuable friends in court!” the lady added. “Oh! Oh! Oh!” cried Margery Poole. “ Just a minute, Margery!” George said dizzily. “ We'll—say, you! I—I take back what I said about making things hot, then! I—” “ Yes, you take back everything, George —and now suppose we stop arguing?” smiled the painted person. ‘“‘ Because, just as surely as I’m sitting here, if you leave me before I’m through with you Ill go in person and call upon Mr, Poole. I’m quite THE ARGOSY, as striking in street clothes as I am now, I assure you. And when I’ve finished with Mr. Poole, he'll know that his wife visited the home of a really well-known character this evening, and—” ., “ That’s enough!” gasped George. The lady subsided with a shrug. Brazen beyond description, she merely smoked and gazed absently, abandonedly at him—and some of the trapped, helpless animal’s sen- sations came to George. He had made nothing by argument or an attempt at ar- gument; anger had landed him nowhere, save in this present cold perspiration. And yet they would have to get out—he would have to save Margery, somehow or other! George -breathed hard as he thought. Somewhere in the very worst characters there is bound to be a streak of good; after all, this unspeakable creature must have a better side, which it behooved him to locate in an almighty hurry. “Miss Woodbury,” he said, so gently that he was almost pathetic, “ you don’t un- derstand, You're accomplishing nothing but the ruining of a woman’s happiness.” ee You jorget. I’m gaining your com- pany.” ‘For what?” “For purposes of my own—because I wish you to see something that you may be asked to remember later. My friends seem to have backed out. Accident seems to have presented me with you two. And that’s really all; if I cared to explain further I should have done so before this,” the re- markable woman said impatiently. “So now—”’ “Well, wait!’’ George said doggedly. * You say you want two witnesses to some- “Only two?” “Only two!” serenely. “Well, you'll have more than that pres- ently, because Poole’s coming and somebody is coming with him!” George suggested. “ 5 eee “I wonder if that really could be so?” the lady murmured, and stared hard at George, and this-time she seemed a little Miss Woodbury smiled (E@) MOO g (E@)