Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

TIGER. * Down the alley—-don't go!” ‘1 told vou,” said Sanford. ready barring the way!” ‘Why not go down the alley?” The street,” she said. “It ain't good for walkin’.” And she winked with evil meaning. ‘* Can’t a man go where he pleases here?”’ ‘Sure, a man can. But not a tiger. Whist!” She beckoned him still closer. ‘* Boynton and six more!”’ “The hound!”’ He fumbled in his pocket and drew out a bill whose denomination set her crooning with joy. ‘* Now tell me what made you warn me.” But she shook her head. “Who posted you here?” She shook her head again. “Look!” He held out a still larger bill, and heard her breath drawn with shuddering force. “Quick! Who put you here!” ‘No one put me here; unless hunger and the chill, Tiger.”’ ‘““Ne more shrewdly. Her hand reached automatically toward the bill, and gathered one end of it mto her clutch. ‘* Hist again, Tiger!”’ ‘‘T hear you, mv friend.” ‘“ Me best friend is gone if she knows )’ve told.” ‘“ Tl keep your secret.” ‘* Who but Mary Dover told me to watch over ye, Tiger? But she'll have me hide if she knows I told!” He left the bill in her hands, tossed an- other after it, and then turned and strode hurriedly down the street to the left, so that Sanford had a hard time keeping pace with his shorter legs. All the old torment was burning hotter and hotter in the mind of Jack. All those girls at Mrs. Thomas Harding’s dinner, with all their courage and their clean, clear eyes —what could they have done to save the life of a man, as Mary Dover had saved his life that night? And what one among them all would have done her good work, even if she had the power, so secretly, claim- ing no reward? Jt made his heart thunder to think of her. * He’s al- than that?” he = asked ‘the door. oll And the beat of his heels drummed one herce conviction into his thoughts: ‘“‘ What- ever may have happened to her body, her mind is clean—her mind is clean!” And then the picture of the Baboon stormed across his eyes and blinded him. To have simed with any man—but to have sinned above all with this incarnate devil! He tried with both hands to pluck the thought of her out of his mind, to turn back from the Tangle, but now the force which Jed him on was a magnet. Every step he took made it more impossible for him to turn back. And with every step, reason kept speaking: “‘ No matter what she may have done, she is clean now; she loves you with a strength which other women cannot dream of.” But for every syllable of reason there was a great revolting instinct in him which cried out against her. And so he came once more beneath the black form of the Chuck-a-Luck, and went up the dark stairway toward his room. CHAPTER XXIV. TIE ACID. ‘* CN HE may have rented the rooms again, S since we left,” suggested Sanford. And the Tiger made a silent, fool- ish resolution that if she had he would tum and leave the place again, never to return; and all the while that they climbed the stairs he knew that he would not have the strength to keep his resolve. Yet that did not keep his breath from coming fast when he put his hand at last on the knob of But it yielded to his key, the lock turned, and a moment later he had turned on the light and was again definitely placed in the Tangle. Up to that moment it had seemed that he could withdraw, turn back, but when that light flooded the room, retreat became im- possible. Of one accord his eyes touched on the chairs, and then he turned and met the glance of Sanford; they had the same thought, but they left it unspoken. The valet began to unpack the suit-cases, but the eye of Jack caught on a pale streak of jight on the rug. He picked it up and examined it_coyert! SO)