Argosy All-Story Weekly, August 9, 1924 — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

270 from the first! And I didn’t want to take Wayne from you. I fought against it, but it wasn’t any use. And—and I think I would have succeeded, if it hadn’t been that I knew you loved Channing; that you didn’t love Wayne at all!” ‘“‘ Hush,” said Eve. She tried to speak calmly, but Betty caught the queer vibration of her voice and looked up quickly, startled. “Oh!” she exclaimed; “(I knew some- thing had happened! I told Wayne some- thing had happened. I saw Channing rid- ing away.” She caught her breath as Eve refused to look at her; and she observed how Eve pressed her lips tightly together. “Eve!” she demanded; “where did Channing go?” “He has gone to look for Vallon’s—the men who shot Vallon.” Betty seemed to sigh with relief. then he’ll come back!” she said. Eve shook her head. “I told him if he went after those men he needn’t—” “‘ Eve!” cried Betty; “‘ You didn’t!” Eve nodded, smiled wanly at the other girl’s reproachful look. She turned from Betty and went out into the living room, where she stood, both arms resting on the mantel shelf, staring downward into the empty fireplace. Later she went outside and walked to the clearing which held her mother’s grave. She stood there for an hour or so, and at times she scanned the silver-flooded plains for sight of a lone horseman riding there. She half expected to see him coming back. But when at length she could detect no movement in all that vast space she sighed and with bowed head returned to the ve- randa. She knew she would not sleep this night, and so she seated herself on the edge*of the veranda. Outwardly she was calm, but her eyes were brimming. She had seen no sign of Warren or Betty when she had seated herself, though she had not been there very long when she ob- served Warren walking toward her from around a side of the house. “ Oh, He approached and stood near her, look- ing down at her. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “Eve,” he said in a low voice; “I’m mighty sorry. Ive been a coward all through this deal, I suppose. I’ve been wanting to tell you how things stood be- tween Betty and myself, but I never got the courage to do so. “ Betty has been telling me about you and Channing. It’s too bad you had to look at it like that. Channing is a real man. ‘There wasn’t anything else he could do. He'll be back.” ‘““ Never!” she declared. She looked up at him and he saw that she had been crying. But there was no reproach or other emotion visible in her eyes. “IT don’t blame you for falling in love with Betty,” she said. ‘I can understand how it happened. And I am sure I never loved you, Wayne. I think I began to realize that right after we brought you here from the wreck. And Channing was so—so—”’ She paused. “Was Channing,” supplied Warren. “JI think you have always been in love with him. “I don’t see how you could help it, having been near him all the time. I think the knowledge that you loved him must have been why I thought you were not much hurt by my turning to Betty. She knew it, and I knew it. It didn’t seem to be much of a crime to let you find out that there had been a mistake. ‘“‘ And I don’t think he knew that you loved him, Eve. Do you know that he threatened to kill me if I did not marry your Fact! And here is what he did this very night!” He shoved the railroad ticket before her eyes. ‘“¢* Eve’s going East on the ten o’clock, to-morrow morning. If you ain’t with her I reckon you'll never do any traveling any- where, any more!’ ” “‘ Channing told you that, to-night!” said Eve. “To-night. When he gave me the ticket. And he meant it. Eve, he thought he was doing you a great service. He was deter- mined to guard your happiness.” Warren shook his head. “I don’t see how any GoMmililGebaoo @) S (C@)