Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

‘THE The tears were running down her cheeks, now as she looked up at the mmister. “Tell us what happened, Flora, when you were left alone.” ‘You left us in the study, and Mr. Swain showed me a necklace that he’d bonght. He wanted me to try it on, but I shook my head. I didn’t say anything, but I stood up and began taking off the earrings and the pin. I was trembling so, that I could hardly unfasten them. He just watched me at first and then he asked me what that - meant? J said it meant I wasn’t going to marry him. He said it was too late now— that I couldn’t change my mid. It would make him the laughing-stock of the whole village. He kept walking back and forth, » and finally, when he saw I wasn’t listening, he came up to me and caught hold of my arms. I was cryimg so I couldn’t make him understand. He fnghtened me. “ Fust then I heard Will Davis drive by. I broke away from him and dropped the jewelry and my flowers and ran out into the bali. He followed me as far as the threshold. But I got the door open and ran down the path. When I reached the gate I felt 1 couldn’t go any further; I just clung hold of it and shut my eyes. * ‘““ After a while some one spoke to me. — it was mother. She’d seen me from up there to our house, and she led me home. Then she got the shears and knelt right down there in the front hall and began cutting to pieces the dress I was wearing. She said: ‘Don’t you ever let anybody in Ahis village know what a little fool you’ve been! a B “That was her reason then for saying you had not been down here?” the minister asked curiously. | . Flora nodded. “ It’s her way.” CHAPTER IV. JOEL’S RETURN. ORA looked appealingly at her -mother who sat erect and unheeding in the chair beside the kitchen door. ‘‘ And you had no idea of what happened here afterward—after you ran out of the room?” . } SA SICKLE OF FATE. 305 “T wouldn't believe it Aad happened when you told us. It seemed so horrible I—but when IL heard them talking about It down here—”’ She shuddered and put her hands up to her throat. The constable suddenly leaned toward her across the table, his face stern in the lamp-light. “Yet you are the last person known to have seen him alive. You admit it was only a few minutes before his death. Have you any reason to suspect who killed Nathan Swain?”: In the silence that followed his question, and while the girl stood speechless before him, a footstep startled every one. Joel Benton stood thereon the ‘kitchen threshold. He held his felt hat crushed against his breast and his glance was fixed . on the constable. “ Tve come to give myself up,” he said, moistening his lips. ‘ You don’t have to took any farther.”’ He tiptoed mto the room and laid a sickle on the table. Then he pointed to it with his finger. The quietness of his voice, the restraint of his gesture sent a shudder through the room. | “Thmk what you're saying, Joel!” the minister gasped. ‘‘ Net one of us believes you! 79 The iitth man peered up at him and then around at the circle of neighbors— the people who had known him all their lives. He shook his head helplessly. “TY don't look much like a murderer, maybe. I guess I wa’n't intended for one. "Twas knowin’ Nathan Swain that changed me.” His glance was lowered to the old felt hat he was turning in his hands. “Some of you understood him well encugh—the weak ones and the unlucky ones—those he could get power over. Others that were safe from him, that he couldn’t touch, thought well of him, I guess.” | He was silent a moment apparently, con- sidermg. Then he went on. ‘““ Nathan Swain wanted power, and he’d got about all of it a man could get in a little town. Seems as if it was the brea COMIC — HOOKS COlini