Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 23, 1924 — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

— — —* a ie ees ae a eg hae oe a te See Oe SOM Be Ee ot. be Sr aA > i. ae ok = a ange = 202 diately, but lured by the curiosity which would have led any woman to investigate a man who did mysterious things with a tape measure along country roads, she had turned from her walk in the tame woods of the grounds, and watched the fellow. He seemed to seek carefully for a certain spot in the road. He bent so that his nose approached the very dirt of the highway. Then he straightened up, cast a quick look over his shoulder, as though to make sure he were not watched and, taking a tape measure from his pocket, measured from the spot he had chosen to another spot on the edge of the road—a spot where the hedge was broken. Then Marion recalled that this was the scene of the famous ac- cident, and at the same time recognized the man before her as the unspeakable Drayton. Tt occurred to her, also, that the look he had cast behind him had been to make sure he was watched! To make sure that she was the watcher! To make sure that he had brought her skillfully to overlook his work. She felt herself trapped, and was angry. She would have turned away and-left him then and there, had it not been for the subtle touch of defeat that» such a course - would imply. So, lacking nothing in cour- age, she stepped forward instead and en- gaged the enemy. “Have you dropped something?” she asked politely. He looked about him. «“ Thank you,” he said, and picked up a piece of chalk at his feet. “I just laid it down for a mo- ment. Why, it’s Miss Ray.” She acknowledged his greeting with spar- kling eyes, and her chin elevated. “T thought you might have lost your mind,” she remarked. ‘“ How is your poor head? And that leg? Are you still lame?” “Yes, indeed,” he assured her seriously, and limped across to her side to prove it. “And Mrs. Drayton? How is she?” He shot a quick glance toward her, and wiped his hands slowly upon his overalls as he stood there smiling. “J don’t see Mrs. Drayton very often,” he said. “ But I believe she is all right.” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ‘‘ I’m glad to hear it,” she observed dryly. ‘And now you’ve found your chalk, I sup- pose you won’t have to measure the road any more?” “Oh, no,” he protested quickly. chalk is a part of it. for my damage suit.” ‘““ What damage suit?” ‘“* Against the Averills. I don’t suppose I ought to talk about it with you, but I’m planning to collect damages for the col- lision. Their car ran into mine, you know.” “ But I thought you wanted to fix that out of court.” “1 did, but there have been one or two hitches. Of course we may come to an understanding to-night.” ce Oh?” “Yes. I’m to have a conference with Miss Averill this evening. Didn’t she tell you about it?” ““T believe she did say something to Cow- per about not being at home this evening.” He shook his head gravely. “T’m afraid Cowper is inclined to mis- understand Miss Alicia. You know those two are not really happy together.” “Tt seems to me,” she said, “ that you are evading the issue. You forget that we have long since filed the evidence you gave before witnesses that you were to blame for the affair.” “ Oh, that’s only a part of it,” he assured her. “ Of course I was not responsible at the time. Concussion, you know.” He eyed her thoughtfully for a moment. ‘“ I’m not sure,” he went on, “ but what I have a case against you for coercion, or something. You know, eliciting a confession under undue influences. It may harm your case.” ‘““ See here, young man, do you honestly think that Morley Averill is going to take kindly to a little matter like blackmail? You must want free board and lodging pret- ty badly to invite disaster that way.” He frowned gravely, almost sorrowfully. “You mustn’t talk like that,” he said. ‘It weakens your case. Another thing is that you hurried me out of your house without proper treatment, so that the ill effects of the smash were aided and abetted. I might have been crippled for life.” “ The (e(0) _OOK ANU ee OE ee ee a ee Og SO EE Se ae eee 8 Pee oO I’m getting evidence ~ (C@)