Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

a BING, BANG, BOOM! David, but I won’t forget it. It’s the last joke you'll ever play on me.” “ You think this is a jeke, eh?” ‘T know it! That is, it’s what you call a joke. It’s your perverted idea of humor. I’ve got your number now, all right.” “What are you aimin’ to do about the Majestic, son?” ‘None of your business! ”’ “ Figurin’ on jest droppin’ it, eh?” Silence.. ‘“‘ Figurin’ on startin’ it up agin, eh?” Silence. “Well,” he drawled, reaching for his reins, “‘I reckon I must ’a’ guessed your plans, anyway. Gee-up, Nancy! Time to go home now.’ - They drove back slowly and in a silence that neither of the men seemed disposed to break. Bert, raging inwardly, slumped down in his seat, and let his thoughts toy --with his grievances. Why had he trusted the word of the erratic station-master? Why had he accompanied him upon so ri- diculous an excursion? He might have ‘known that David had nothing of such im- portance to show him. He might have known that it was but a trick. Undoubt- edly, Ruth was at that dance. might have persuaded her to dance with him! Perhaps—_ When they approached the street on which was the high school, Bert straight- ened himself and touched David’s arm. “Let me off at the next crossing, David.” “ Dance is over by this time, son,” said David. “ Must be near eleven thirty. 7 “I’m not asking you any questions,” said Bert. ‘‘ Let me off!” David shrugged and drew rein, and Bert _ jumped frem the buggy. “Good night, son,” said David. Bert made no reply. He hurried up the street toward the high school, hoping against hepe that the dance was still in progress; but when at length the building loomed before him, he saw that David had spoken the truth. He turned and retraced his steps to Main Street. Here, too, the houses, with their wimples of shingled roofs and un- lighted front windows, seemed to recede Perhaps he - mounted the steps to the hall above. 287 into the closing shadows darkly. Here and there small threads of light rimmed the edges of a drawn blind. A slumbrous quiet pervaded, his own footfalls beating harshly inte it. He hurried on, for he had ten blocks to walk, and the night air, cool and sweet aS poppies, filled him with sudden drowsiness. He was plucked from his thoughts by the sound of a woman’s voice, at first reaching out but vaguely into the stillness, then rising to a single shriek that was quickly broken off. He stopped short, and standimg motion- less, threw back his head to strain his ears into the silence. He looked abeut him. In the heuse before which he stood, one upper window showed a light, a dark shade drawn over it. Even as he turned to face it, there was a dull report, and some glis- tening object went flying over his head to shatter itself against the curb beyond him. When he looked wonderingly from the bits of broken glass that lay about him, up again to the window, he saw that in the lower part of the shade there was a ragged tear through which shot a spear of yellow light. And then he heard a second scream, this one as muffled as the first, but quite as unmistakable in its- note of agony. No longer shackled by perplexed inde- cision, but rather urged to frenzied haste by his resolve, he mounted the steps to the veranda and tried the door. It swung back unresistingly, catapulting him into the darkened hall. He closed the door behind him, and paused an undecided moment; then, grop- ing forward, he found the stairway, and, as noiselessly as was compatible with haste, He paused again before a closed door whose transom told of a light within, and put his ear to the jamb. The sound of footsteps came to him. For an instant he hesitated; then turned the knob and flung open the unlocked door. He stood back, then, blinking in the sud- den light, appalled at the sight that met his eyes. A man, whose arms were burdened -with the limp form of a girl, had whirled about to face him as he cressed the thres- hold; and now, keeping his burning eyes on AOOLK (CO ww COUMIUC