Argosy All-Story Weekly, August 9, 1924 — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

THE MYSTERY And Georgette Clement. And Mrs. Ware. Oh, he understood them! Not every one could pass out at the back door and take the path through the woods; only such as satis- fied the guardian deities as to their fitness. Jacob Cushing’s payments to Georgette. They were comprehensible now; oh, yes; entirely understandable. Jacob Cushing had been back of the business; he had been making large profits from it. Jacob Cush- ing had been promoting a secret gambling club. And here Ropes, cautiously and si- lently making his way back along the path, stopped, struck by a sudden idea. Had Jacob Cushing been lending money to Jan- sen Derby so that the boy could gamble? Ropes came out on the highroad, smiling at the innocent white front of the Mer- maid Teahouse. He walked slowly along the shore toward the Forrester cottage. As he came to the door he saw a woman 4p- proaching. He stopped, and was surprised to find that it was Anne Derby. “ Mr. Ropes!” she said, a little breath- less. ‘‘ Mrs. Forrester told me you were out, and I’ve been waiting to see you. It’s about Jansen. I didn’t know who to go to.” “I’m glad you came to me.” ‘¢ Jansen hasn’t been home since yester- day morning. He didn’t come home last night, and he didn’t send any word. He’s never done that before.” “Well, young fellows are sometimes care- less,” Ropes said reassuringly. “Jansen isn’t. He’s always been very particular about letting me know his plans. I’ve tried not to worry about it, but to- night I felt that I must talk to you. I—it seems—I’ve been wondering if this could have anything to do with what happened to Mr. Cushing.” “ How could it have?” Ropes asked; and added: ‘I suppose we’ve all been so much concerned about that that we think any- thing the least bit unusual must be con- nected with it. Your brother may have Sent a message to you by some one who for- got to give it to you.” ‘““T’ve been wondering if Jansen might have said something about Mr. Cushing that—well, that sounded rather bitter and vengeful?” Anne looked up into Ropes’s face. ‘“ Do you know if he has?” OF THE OPAL. 237 With her eyes upon him Ropes felt that he could not evade the question. ‘ He criti- cized him to Mr. Dalton and me,” he ad- mitted. ‘‘ Mr. Dalton might have felt that Jansen was bitter, but I believe that every- thing he said was thoroughly justified.” “Tt isn’t a question of whether Jansen was justified or not,” she said quickly. ‘It’s only a question of whether he may have made enemies. Mr. Dalton may have told others what Jansen said, and they— well, they may have made trouble for my brother. I think—” She hesitated. ** Please don’t think me foolish, but I al- ways felt that Mr. Cushing wasn’t quite like other people—there was something back of him; it wouldn’t be pleasant to make an enemy of him. I believe that, in spite of his seeming to be so much alone, he had various ties, connections of some sort—” Ropes interrupted. ‘I believe—no, I’m absolutely certain—that Jacob Cushing was a very bad man.” Anne looked at him, not with astonish- ment, but with appreciation. “I thought you’d find out something about him. So Jansen was right. But, you see, that might make Mr. Cushing’s friends all the more bitter against Jansen.” They had been so much concerned with their own conversation that neither of them had noticed the approach of a third per- son. It was Holroyd who loomed up sud- denly, come from the direction of the har- bor. “Good evening, Miss Derby. Excuse me, Philip—”’ “Miss Derby is worried about her brother,” Ropes explained. ‘ He’s been away from home for two days, without let- ting her know where he’s gone.” “I’m afraid something may have hap- pened to him,” said Anne, turning to Hol- royd. “I’m afraid he may have made ene- mies of Jacob Cushing’s friends.” “Do you know anything about that man’s friends?” Ropes asked Holroyd. “Softly, softly, Philip,” cautioned Hol- royd. He smiled at Anne. “ Whatever I may know is entirely at your service, Miss Derby; but you must let me use my own judgment. It would do no good if I told you what I know now.” COMNMUC NOOLK CO