Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

(Ht aay A By ISABEL OSTRANDER Author of “‘ Ashes to Ashes,”’ “McCarty, Incog,”’ ete. NT CHAPTER XV. ON THE RACK. “SHE anteroom had fallen into silence and the little group of men by the ® window turned with one accord as the door was thrown open and Claudia entered beside her guard. Her slender figure looked singularly immature and pa- thetic in the simple black gown with a fold of white crape about her soft throat, and the mass of golden hair was braided like a coronet around the small head. Dreyer the versatile had seen to the gen- eral effect and Mrs. Yates under his tute- lage had made no mistake in her second se- lection. “Don’t emphasize style and - money,or the mourning,” he had advised. “That would be meat for the prosecution. Unsophisticated sincerity—that’s our key- note, see? Black, of course, and becoming; bring out all her natural beauty, but make : her look like a little girl if you can.” Claudia had submitted without seeming interest, but as before when she stood fac- | ing her mirror in all her bridal array that ‘same sense of unreality, of playing a part in some strange drama pervaded her and she moved like an automaton, with no con- scious volition of her own. But also, as when she had confronted the grand jury, her mind was keenly alert and apart, watch- ing with dispassionate, critical eyes this Claudia who must arm herself with art- lessness, feign love where only loathing existed, preserve a semblance of faith in = - This story began in the Argosy-Allstory Weekly for September 8. So: Be = = = = = = = = “comicboc “KS cor ra -_ Ae ee a,