Argosy All-Story Weekly, August 9, 1924 — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

CHANNING COMES THROUGH. he looks at me. It seems to me that he knows just how—how worthless I am!” Warren had also caught that gleam in Channing’s eyes. It had been when Chan- ning had faced him a few minutes before in the living room, when Channing had warned him to be square with Eve. “ He’s a knowing devil,” said Warren. “But I don’t seem to feel very worthless in spite of what has happened. Eve doesn’t love me. She never did. She has always loved Channing. Some day she will dis- cover that we have done her a very good turn.”’ Eve and Channing were now out of sight from the veranda, and Warren moved to where Betty sat, and standing beside her placed an arm around her shoulders. She sat very still, gazing downward. ‘IT wonder if we have done right?” she said. ‘I wonder if you really know me as well as you think you do?” ‘“T know a good woman when I see one,”’ said Warren. “I am taking you Just as you are.” “You heard me admit that I lied when I said I had not known Green before I came here. You heard me admit that I came here at Green’s request to cheat Eve out of this property.” “You didn’t go through with it. That’s enough for me.” ‘But it isn’t!” cried Betty. “I want you to know that when I came here I fully intended to help Green defraud Eve. I—l was wicked. I felt wicked! I had no con- sideration whatever for the feelings of others. I was selfish and cold and design- ing.” ‘“‘ And the first thing you did was to take your coat off and start in to nurse me,” said Warren. ‘“ And the next thing you did was to be courageous enough to stand before Green and the others and do the square thing. And then you still had cour- age enough to admit to Eve in my presence that you had come here to cheat her. Really wicked people do not do those things, Betty.” She made a gesture of impatience. “TI was proud and arrogant,” Betty de- clared. ‘I was ignorant, and yet I thought I was wise.” 255 “You'll find plenty of other people that way,” smiled Warren. ‘“‘ None of us are as wise as we think we are. That’s a form of conceit. I wouldn’t worry about it.” “T was selfish and mercenary. I thought I could take things that didn’t belong to me. I’d got heartless. I had no sympathy for any one.” ‘“‘ And then you found you hadn’t known anything about yourself,” smiled Warren. ‘‘ You were posing, Betty, pretending.” “TI was an actress for five years,” she said; “ with Green’s company. You didn’t know that?” ‘‘An ancient and honorable profession. It doesn’t make any difference to me.” As the day waned they continued to talk. Betty’s revelations of her past life did not depress Warren, for he discovered that basi- cally she was sound, though she had made mistakes. The trouble with Betty was that she had worn a mask of worldliness to con- ceal her human impulses, which she had thought were weaknesses. And she had finally discovered that humanness is the greatest thing in the world. Both were very solemn when the dusk came as they sat on the veranda gazing into the moonlit plains northward. And when at last they made out the shapes of two horses coming toward them, they still sat, watching. When the two shapes drew nearer and they observed that one horse was carrying a double burden, Warren got up and stood at the edge of the veranda. Betty came and stood beside him. They saw Eve slip out of the saddle and stand at Channing’s stirrup, helping him down with his burden. Betty was first to divine that something in the nature of a tragedy had occurred, for she cried out in a stifled voice and ran forward. But Channing was already stalking to- ward the house, straight for the front ve- randa, carrying Vallon as he might have carried a child. When Betty reached him he spoke shortly: “‘ Get a bed ready. Quick! An’ get your workin’ harness on! It’s Ned Vallon. He’s been shot bad!” COMNMUC NOOLK CO