Argosy, Vol. 147, No. 1 — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

self anything I have ever wanted, and I have inside myself that you must win me aed end. Because I have never denied my- a never wanted anything as much as f want I know, too, that only suffering and you! t misery can come of it! I know you won be faithful! I know it isn’t in you to be true! You will make me wretched—prob- ably beat me—surely break my heart! And yet I can't bring myself to give you up! My only hope is that circumstances will inter- yene and. save me—some outside influence come in and take the whole decision out of my hands! I pray every night that I may not surrender! But I make no other effort to resist you. I suppose the world would think this weak of me. But so few women feel as much as I feel, or sufier as much as I suffer. This infatuation for you is a kind of madness burning in my blood. I can no more resist it or quench it than one can resist or quench: fever. And I will succumb to it: in the end, inevitably, as one succumbs to fever— unless I am saved. I have moments, too, of planning to run. away. Once, L had my bags packed. And once I went to tea with you with my brother's revolver—loaded—in. the pocket of my coat. But you were so sweet— so deferential—so humble—and yet so com- pelling—so. masterly—I could not do what I had foolishly planned to do. But you must not hurry me. The moment for my decision will come and I will choose. Meanwhile— for me, this hell of indecision, of vaccillation, of doubt and fear and dread; for you, pa- tience. The trap is set! Your prey is snared. Soon you will be devouring me. Wait tran- “You see,” cried Fielding, staring at Garry with burning eyes. “She killed him! It’s as plain as it can be!” “ Impossible!” cried Garry. “ But she as much as says it! mits she had thought of it! She had even gone with a loaded pistol! These letters are conclusive proof! No jury in the world could listen to them and still retain any doubt!”’ ‘ a No jury must ever know they exist!” cried Garry. % I'm afraid you can’t prevent that,” said Fielding. The eyes of the two men met; then Garry rose and advanced upon Fielding. ' Give them to me,” he said in a low voice. “ No—no funny business, now!” “ Give th ' : we them to me!” he repeated more mehaenwy- ana She ad- oe _ _ ‘THE DANCE OF DEATH. As «won't, I tell you! Justice has be done! y DE warn you— ae But what his warning was, knew, for before — inish Garry was upon . Vigorous more strength than you would have 1 he possessed, Fielding resisted. Stn pommeling y, t clinched, fell, and rolled over and over upo! dropped them as Garry’s clutch ti upon his wrist; and there the let scattered upon the thick rug as they 1 And they fought like demons, each mé thirsting for the other’s blooc +h mat for the woman he loved. : But Garry was stronger. Gr Fielding’s resistance grew less; an denly, under the force of Garry eat plows, he collapsed, and lay in a hea floor — pale — motionless — breathing. mee = Garry wasted no time upon him. — his hands and knees he bent to gath the letters—those damning letters erine’s own writing against w ic] ter testimony or legal advisers cow her. Here, he knew, was her lif He had got them all and was prepal to tear them across when he felt a she stab in his leg. ee Turning, he found Fielding c¢ vel ae 1 with a hypodermic in his hand am i pression of cunning on his face. — tried trickery when he felt his st ing, and realized that in a fistic e Garry must win. He had only pre to collapse. And he had seized th tunity—when Garry’s back was | to bring out his hypodermic needle shoot an injection into Garry Ca -pente Struggling against the powerful eff the drug, Garry tried to rise, with the I ters still clutched in his hands; but ete was more than a r e kicked out viciously, | sprawling. And as ie ost his one agonized though . Lo oe Sod > oe . < ae eet +o oo . ee < ry Ce —_ rat BY ae Steg ss ‘kK - x ~ ‘aah aaa , <a “) +. + % os ba ~* a « = & <_—* as. 2 » = = ¥, other viciously. > — each en = = 5 EL 7 his arst onslaught Fielding had th the letters behind him—and then hi ae + Ss oe 3 “i *¢ , - = _— % + , ; top t on a ti vate! em