Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 4, 1922 — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

BY WAY OF A CHAPERON, Jacqueline. She never knew just how the magazine was retrieved. She was only conscious that the young man had located it somewhere and was handing it to her with a friendly smile. After murmuring some sort of thanks she opened it and pretended to be lost among its pages. The young man did not turn his back again, but sat facing her. Jacqueline was fully conscious of a swift glance from time to time. “My beloved family found I was gone and phoned in post haste after a detective,” she came to the grim conclusion, “ but why didn’t he grab me in New York instead of letting me go merrily on my way to Boston? : ‘“‘ Perhaps, according to the laws of the Medes and the Persians, or whatever they go by, one can’t be arrested till after one has actually started. If he had taken me firmly by the arm in New York I might have shaken myself free with the informa- tion that I was merely doing a day’s shop- ping in New York, expecting to return home that same day. Probably I had to be actually on my way before he had just cause for a regular arrest. “‘ He really looks too nice to be a detec- tive.” She glanced up and their eyes met. “T don’t know, though, just how they ought to look—never having met one—at least not to know him. I wonder if they don’t wear badges or buttons or some- She studied the front of his coat minute- ly, but was unable to discover anything un- usual about it. “ How do you like it?” The young man nodded toward the page at which Jacque- line’s magazine was open. ‘“¢ Haven’t finished it yet,” Jacqueline re- plied. She didn’t feel it necessary to admit that she hadn’t even read the opening sen- tence. “Not much of an ending,” he explained; “but good stuff all the way through. Why is it you’re so often disappointed in the last page of a story?” Jacqueline hadn’t thought of it before, but she was perfectly willing to pass the time by discussing it now. 459 The conversation progressed. Jacque- line forgot her suspicions—forgot she was running away—forgot she was engaged in conversation with a perfect stranger. She was entirely unself-conscious in a friendly impersonal way. Then suddenly, without any warning, the talk turned, took on a personal tone, and before Jacqueline could stop herself She had run bang up against a stone wall. She had been holding forth on the stuffi- ness, the dirt, the noise, the conventions of city life in general. “But you don’t live in the city—” Just there Jacqueline hit the wall and was so stunned she missed the rest, which, after a moment’s hesitation, was added in a low voice: “One can see that from your wonderful sun color, so different from the usual paint and stick make-up.” ‘“He knows where I live and has let it slip.” Jacqueline turned to the window to collect her thoughts. ‘I don’t see how he lit on me out of that whole big restaurant. My devoted family never had time to come in with my photo. They must have wired @ minute description. My new friend prob- ably isn’t sure, but is leading me on to find out. All right, Mr. Detective, I'll see what I can do to fool you.” Jacqueline picked up-her magazine. She pretended to read while busy trying to think out some plan by which she could match her wits against those of the young man. She would keep wide awake and fool him if possible. - After watching her questioningly for a few minutes the young man took the hint— and his book, and was soon busily turning over the pages. Suddenly he stopped and frowned. He searched his pockets, apparently without success. The frown deepened as he looked helplessly around. At last he took two of the uncut pages, one in each hand, and began tearing them apart. “Don’t,” commanded Jacqueline. He glanced at her quickly. She thrust her hand into her pocket and brought out a card. “This will cut straighter than those COmicClbooks.CGonmn