Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 4, 1922 — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

462 Jacqueline sat down again. For five minutes she communed with. herself severely. “It all comes of fibbing that first little fib, for Robert is really Constance’s hus- band and not mine. I am in so deep I may never be able to get out again: But if I ever do I will stick to the truth closer than —than—” She smiled as she glanced at the man at her side. Suddenly she jumped to her feet again. Her eyes sparkled and she spoke eagerly. ‘Of course there’s the phone. If Robert is still at the house I can hurry him down. He may not have heard that the train is in.” ‘ All right,” agreed the man, “ Ill keep the junk together while you see what you can find out over the wire.” Jacqueline hurried off. The stranger, who had followed and taken the seat next, watched keenly till she was out of sight. Then he shook hands quickly with her former companion. “Got your telegram, Rodney, old man, and here I am. What’s up?” “It’s a darned queer thing, Herne,” Rodney frowned. ‘“ She ”—with a nod in the direction Jacqueline had taken—‘ gave me this as her visiting card.” He handed over the card Jacqueline had given him to cut the pages of his book. Herne took the card, glanced at it, and gave a low whistle... ‘“‘T might think there was another Mrs. Robert Livingston, but not with Connie’s address, 123 Commonwealth Avenue.” “ Vou’ve never seen this—er—Mrs. Liv- ingston before?”’ ““ Never.” “‘ She’s phoning now?” * Pretends she’s phoning Robert to come down after her.” “ What do you make of it?” Rodney shook his head. ‘“ What can be her object?” “ Looks to me like a case of blackmail.” “She doesn’t seem that sort,” protested Rodney quickly. “They usually don’t,” dryly. “Well, Herne, you'll just stick around?” _“ Sure thing. Here she comes.” In the mean time Jacqueline had been ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, busily phoning. After getting information and giving the name she soon had the num- ber. | “Is Mrs. Livingston at home?” she asked anxiously as soon as it had been given her. ‘“ Constance,” she exclaimed a few min- utes later, “‘ this is what is left of your once flourishing friend Jacqueline. Yes, I’m here in Boston. I got in hours, or days, or years ago. I’m not quite sure when. And I’m in an awful mess, and you'll have to help me out. 7 ‘‘A man sat next me, Connie, on the train. For various reasons, Jane was not with me. Anyway, by way of a chaperon, I adopted a husband. There was more to it than just that, but I haven’t time to explain. ‘The train was late in arriving, so the man bamboozled me into having my hus- band meet me at the station. You needn’t laugh. It ceased being funny hours ago. Such a determined man in a perfectly friendly way you never saw. He insists on taking my hand-and putting it in that of my husband with the manner of one who has returned a valuable package safely to its owner. “So, Connie, if you will lend me Robert for just five minutes—five minutes as a husband, I mean. I wish you’d stop laugh- ing. Nonsense, I am old enough to travel alone. These were unusual circumstances. “Yes, please tell Robert as much as you have to and hurry him down. Ask him to greet me once—once will do—as a long lost wife. Tl return him, Connie, just as quickly as I can. ‘““Qh, yes, the man is a gentleman—I can’t help being friendly with people. Re- member—I’m Mrs. Robert Livingston.” Jacqueline~hung up the receiver with a sigh of relief. She returned with a load off her shoulders. If she had thought to notice she would have found the two men in exactly the same positions on her return as when she left— her former companion watching her curi- ously—the man next to him diligently read- ing his paper. ‘‘Good news?” the man asked quickly. ‘Mr. Livingston will be down immedi- ately,” beamed Jacqueline. COMmMIiCLMoolks.GoOm