The Argosy, November 1908 — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

AN ELUSIVE LEGACY. pletely lost to hope as the mouse under the paw of the cat. But sometimes the poor mouse escapes an overconfident grimalkin; and in his calculations Jones had overlooked one point. The point, too, which seemed, on the face of it, Dick’s worst stumbling block—his ignorance of the village path- ways. So, it happened that as Behan fled pantingly along the road which he be- lieved extended to the station, but which really led in quite the contrary direction, he was brought to an indecisive halt by its sudden forking into three separate ways. Which should he take? For a mo- ment he was nonplused; then quickly noting—for by this time his eyes had be- come somewhat accustomed to the dark —that the right hand one appeared to be the more traveled, he took it on a venture. Down it he ran, trusting to luck that he had made no mistake, and charged full into a barbed-wire fence which en- ' closed a place of considerable size. He had landed in a cul de sac. Ahead of him he could see a white, two-story dwelling, set well back in a wide yard full of trees, while to the rear was a barn and the dim outline of several sheds. It was, as a matter of fact, the show residence of Verdee; but although Behan did not know this, he realized plainly that it was too big for him to skirt, and that he must either cross the property or turn back to the forks. The first was manifestly risky; for it was evident now that he had lost his bearings, and to take either of the other roads might precipitate him straight into the arms of his pursuers. Yet, was the alternative any less haz- ardous? Crossing a piece of private property, he could hardly fail to arouse a watch-dog, and thus excite an alarm which would betray his whereabouts, and speedily bring his enemies down upon him. Hesitating, uncertain, he stood there, his perplexed gaze meanwhile taking in unconsciously the details of this house which had barred his progress. Plainly, there was a feminine member to the family; for the light from the 637 open front door showed a fleecy shawl hanging over the back of one of the piazza chairs, and a dainty work-basket with its spools of embroidery silk rested on the step. And, then, as he waited, debating what next, the piano was struck, and a rich, clear contralto floated out to him in the words of a song he had often heard hummed by ‘“ Miss Prunes-and-Prisms ” during that never-to-be-forgotten journey across the continent. He gave a great gasp of wondering re- lief. Blind chance had solved his di- lemma and led him to the one haven of refuge open to him in all Verdee. Strange as it may seem, the hurly- burly ef his thoughts had been such in his flight that never before had the idea occurred to him of appealing to Mr. Prentice for protection. Now, as if by magic, the hunted, ap- prehensive air of the fugitive dropped from his shoulders. He straightened up into quite his ordinary nonchalant man- ner, and opening the gate, strode boldly up the path. The contralto voice in the cadences of the familiar song still floated out to him, the fleecy shawl and work-basket spoke eloquently to him of Daffodil’s presence; but he resolutely closed his eyes and ears to their appeal. It was the father, not the daughter, that he wanted to see, he told himself. A coquette, he hotly vowed, had no at- traction for him, No, it was on a man’s business he had come, and he wished to see only the master of the house. But, alas, the neat maid who answered his ring at the bell informed him that Mr. Prentice had not only not returned as yet, but that a message had been re- ceived from him stating that he would not be home before the morrow. Should he put his pride in his pocket, then, and crave sanctuary of the lady— the lady he had deemed almost his, but who had shown herself so fickle and in- constant ? In his dire need, it cannot be denied that such a course presented a strong temptation. But he angrily fought it down. Better almost, he told himself, the ten- der mercies of the mob, than, like a comicloooks.conn