Argosy All-Story Weekly — 'The Metal Monster' — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

40 “What?” g “ Are you wearing Sally’ s stockings?” ‘“J—I borrowed a pair of them—yes. But—” “Well, Bill saw part of one of them. That’s all!” muttered Thomas Henning, as, with a deftness that was coming with prac- tise, he lifted off the helmet once more. Also, he tried to smile comfortingly at the beautiful, forlorn, bewildered stare of Mary Emerson. “Ti—if Bill thinks that Im—lI’m Sally—” she breathed. “It opens up all sorts of possibilities, my child. I can’t imagine anything in the world more futile than discussing them Just now,” Thomas sighed. ‘‘ Your job’s to get out of here and into some other clothes and off to your train, and if we don’t start you in motion mighty soon—”’ “Yes?” came mechanically from Mary’s lips. A second Thomas ground his teeth. “We'll get you into motion and save the day!” he cried. ‘‘I started out to do that and I'll keep on trying while there's one breath left mn me!. Now! Where were we when that last thunderbolt struck, Mary? Ah, yes. We Were considering clothes, were we not?”’ ‘‘ I—I think we were.”’ ‘“‘ Suppose I make a quick dash to Pitt's and see Dora, Mary? She's about your size and she’s expecting a visitor at the sidé door.” “‘ She isn’t at all my size!’’ Mary stated, in a queer little whimper. “ So many other girls are nearer that and—” “ We'll find one of them, then,” Thomas said readily. ‘“ Let’s make a quick job of running through the list. First—” “ Oh!” breathed Marv, as her lovely eyes - dilated. “Was that—was that another knock?” Thomas whispered incredulously. ‘No! It’s your buzzer now!” “ Well—all right!” said Mr. Henning. “It’s only some fool from the bali, I sup- pose. I'll get rid of him in a minute. Get on your hat again, Mary, and come in here.” And now, to be suré, the buzzer was buzzing again! Not without a gasp, the ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. lord of the apartment. moved’ Mary Emer- son into the music-room and pulled the thick curtams hurriedly. Not without~a frightful wrench of every facial muscle did he summon his conventional smile as he opentd the door.. But as his gaze traveled into the lighted corridor, even Thomas could not repress a start. This evening at least, really seemed that one could not mention a per- son without bringing abcut a matenializa- tion! ‘““ Why—hello, Sally!” said T — “ Hello, Tom,” pretty, lithe Mrs. Noble. _ said, sweetly. “ Pete in there with your” ‘“ Where is he?” ‘“T haven’t an idea, Sally.” ““ Why, isn’t that funny!” mused Peter’s wife. “ Hasn’t he been around all day?”’ “Oh, yes. .Pete put in the day at the office. I don’t know where he’s gone =e evening, though.” Mrs. Nobie’s straight, fine brows con- tracted. ‘““Is he over there at the masquerade?” she queried. ‘* |1—er—don’t know.”’ “ What, Tom?” Mrs. Noble asked, curi- ously, and there were fifty questions in her slight smile. ‘“ You’re not trying to be evasive, are you?” ‘“ Me? No!” Thomas gasped. of what?” “Why, I don’t know, but you—look queer, somehow. I suppose it’s my imag- ination; I’m horribly tired. One of my uncles: had to drive over here to-night, and I thought I’d come with him instead of waiting for to-morrow.” She rested her perfectly coiffed “head against the door-casing and smiled again at Thomas. ‘“ Why in the world aren’t you over there,“Tom? I thought you were ter- ribly strong for that sort of thing?” Thomas did not reply at once. Suffering and excitement had sharpened Thomas’s wits considerably this evening; he was thinking again—aye, and thinking brilliant- ly, wonderfully. More than a little startled one minute back, it had become apparent to Thomas Henning that Mrs. Noble was no inconvenient intruder at all. ‘evasive EGORNIG OOO SS co wo a