Argosy All-Story Weekly — 'The Metal Monster' — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

142 Yet he smiled, dazedly and by sheer force of instinct. He looked hard at Sally Noble—and the stars vanished slowly, and he was still smiling. And now, by all that was remarkable, he was mustering up 2 genuine laugh for Sally’s edification. What is more, the laugh sounded real, at least to Thomas. -“ What on earth are you talking about, Sally?” he demanded boisterously. “You know quite well! Where is she now?” } “Where is— Mary Emerson, you mean?” Thomas frowned. “You know quite well that I mean Mary. Well?” “‘ Well—let me see,” mused young Mr. Henning. ‘She must be out West some- where, isn’t she? They were going to do the whole coast, I believe, and then they were sailing for England—or it may have been China. Or it may be—”’ “Or it may be that you think I’m as great a fool as I must have been!” flashed from Mrs. Noble. ‘“‘ You know — and I know you know—and, which is still more to the point, you know that I know that you know—all about it! What was Mary doing in my home?” Thomas extended his hands, palm up- ward, and shook his head. ‘What makes you think that she was ' there?”’ “ And how long has she been there? Ever since I left, perhaps?” ““T give it up, Sally!” Surveying him with marked contempt, Mrs. Noble took a grip upon herself; it was hard, too, as one saw quite readily. “Oh, no you don’t,” she corrected. “You'd like to, doubtless, but I’m not go- ing to permit you to give it up. Will you please be so frightfully good as to drop all the pretense, Mr. Henning? ‘‘T understand it all perfectly; men have to protect one another and, particularly, such dear friends as you and Peter. But I ‘mean to have the whole truth and I don’t mean to wait for it! Where is that woman now?” | “Ask me something that I can answer, Sally,” sighed Thomas. ‘Vou refuse to tell me?” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ‘“T can’t tell you what I don’t know.” Mrs. Noble’s lips tightened. She glanced from Thomas to the little gray jacket; she thrust the latter at the former. ‘“ Are you so unutterably stupid that you think I can be fooled, with this rag in my very hand?” she demanded. ‘“ That’s Mary’s coat!” “What makes you think so?” ‘“ Well, apart from the fact that I went with her to the tailor’s for both fittings of the thing, her monogram is embroidered inside!’” Mrs. Noble said, quite specifically. ‘* And the skirt is hanging with it!” ‘In Peter’s closet?” . ‘Mine and Peter’s!” Sally snapped. “I —I couldn’t have believed that sort of thing of Peter! [—” Her voice broke. Thomas advanced one soothing step. ‘’ Don’t believe it now!” he said earnest- ly. ‘“ There’s some mistake, of course. Let me see that coat, Sally.” “Tl. keep it! ; Mrs. Noble stated, and thrust it behind her back. Her lips compressed more firmly. She was examining Thomas Henning afresh, and, perchance, revising her estimate of him, and also her mode of attack; for when she spoke some of the harsh ring had been forced from her voice. “Tom,” she said quietly, “(a woman does deserve something, you know, even from her husband and his partner and dearest friend. You’re sworn to silence, of course. I understand that, and f will not. urge you to—to betray your friend alto- gether. ‘“ But I do deserve a little consideration at your hands, Tom, and I'll accept that little oratefully, and promise not to quote you later. So tell me this: is it—is it as bad as I think it is?” ‘T don’t know how bad you think it ts, but it isn’t,”. Thomas said lucidly. “Let’s not fence with words, please! Shall I put it in another way? Is this just one of those nasty little things that happen sometimes when a man’s wife trusts him and goes away? I mean, is it just an ad- venture of this evening or is it something more serious?’”’ “ Considering that Peter has been at CORE OOS SS co wo