Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

BING, BANG, BOOM! waste. I gotta get out o’ this town to- night. Now I’m givin’ you a fair choice: I either want that money or I'll take you. Do you get mee” Cold terror crept upon her, beating in her throat and temples, sickening her with vertigo. What should she do? A word from her, and her father’s savings would all be swept away, leaving him more de- pendent than ever upon his sheriff’s salary, and, hence, more than ever subservient to Turmer’s domination. And perhaps his threat was but another trick to make her divulge her secret— ‘“T won’t tell vou,” she said in a voice that she strove to make steady. “ All right,” he said; ‘I give you a fair chance.’”’ There was no grin, no leer upon his face now; just sheer, tumultuous pas- sion that shot out in fire from his narrowed eyes, and swept through his twisted lips in hot, quick breaths. ‘‘I guess I won’t be gettin’ the worst of this bargain.” She flung herself aside as he leaped to- -ward her, and his expectant arms closed about the air, sending him crashing against the dressing-table. When he recovered himself and turned, Ruth was across the room, huddled back against the wall, wait- ing to elude his second spring. She realized now her grave mistake. His was no idle threat, uttered merely to frighten her. He meant it! She had not thought to make an actual choice between a bit of gold and her life—her honor, that was dearer than life itself! | “ Wait, Mr. Blake!” she cried. tell you—”’ “T don’t give a damn, now,” he broke “TH in, looking at her with his breast heaving — and his nostrils dilated. money—afterward.” He advanced more cautiously this time, like some huge feline that has cornered a trembling rabbit, his eyes half closed in his calculating watchfulness, his lips hang- ing loose. Her eyes, too, were upon him with un- wavering intensity, watching his every movement as he drew nearer to her. And then, even as he leaped at her, her hand found the ink-well that lay on the desk be- side her, and, ina last desperate hope, she “Tl get the hurled it at him. Over his head it flew, and across the room, its contents marking the way of its flight with small splotches on the carpet; striking the drawn shade and tearing through it, and then through- the open window behind it. The next moment, Paprika had her in his arms, pinning her struggling arms in his embrace, drowning her agonized screams with his hot, moist lips. CHAPTER XIII. ‘THE RETURN. HEN David Hodge pointed a thin finger through the darkness, indi- cating the vague outlines of the ten-mile post and infotming Bert that it was the objective of their strange journey, Bert was, for the moment, stricken speech- less with amazement, letting his astonished eyes alternate their gaze between David’s unsmiling face and the white post that was scarcely visible through the night. ' “Po you mean,” he managed to gasp after a while, “ that you have brought me all the way out here to show me ¢hat!”’ “ That’s what I had in mind,” David re- turned. ‘“ Let’s see what time it is.” He took a nickel-case watch from his pocket and, holding it in his palm, struck a match above it. “Nine thirty,” he said, shaking’ the flame from the match and replacing the watch in his pocket. ‘“ We ain’t figurin’ on gittin’ back till after eleven, are we. son? We'll lay around a while an’ give Nancy a rest afore she pulls us home.” “See here,” cried Bert, his surprise giv- ing way before his mounting wrath, ‘“ what’s the idea of this? I want to knew if I have to deal with a lunatic or—”’ “Son,” said David, “ I.promised to show you somethin’ that meant a lot to you if you seen it to-night. Wel, I did. That there post is it. If you’re so durn thick- headed that you can’t see no significance in it, why—”’ “ Oh, I see your object,” Bert replied hotly. ‘‘ You wanted me to miss that 285 dance to-night. But why? Why?” “Nice night to-night,” said David. GOnMGIOOKSEHEO