Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

THREE DAYS OF ) the fact that the door was not locked, but when I opened it I nearly fell backward. For there sat Mr. Percy Dare in the flesh, dressed in the costume he had forced from me. He did not appear in the least excited or even upset, and was far from looking like one recently out of the sea. He smiled a welcome. ‘Good God!” I ejaculated. “From your exclamation, doctor,” he said, in his low and easy voice, ‘‘ I gather that you are astonished; from your aston- ishment I gather that you are—vwell, sus- picious. What has the row been about? Why is Mlle. Zingaria excited? I heard her talking to Captain Durand.” “You're a villain,” I said, stepping up to him. “ Admitted for the sake of argument, doctor, ” .he countered, with an impudent “ Tl have it out. of you, my man,” I re- turned. ‘“ I’ll report you to Captain Dur- and, be the consequences what they may. You were in Mile. Zingaria’s room. I saw you come out.” “ Your eyesight is unimpeachable, doc- tor.” the foremast.”’ ‘Freely admitted, doctor.”’ “Then how did you get here? You'll be in irons within ten minutes.” “1 think not,’ was the smooth reply. “I presume you will further charge me with having robbed the Zingaria of her dia- mond necklace.” ce [ do. 9 ‘“ T will admit much, doctor; “but really now, not that. ['ll admit that you saw me run from the lady’s room; I[’ll admit that she was not prepared to see me; but doctor, my errand to her was perfectly legitimate.” “What do you-mean, sir?” |. ‘“ You will hardly credit me, doctor, when I tell you that the lady is my wife, who unfortunately, I had not seen for some years until at the table last night. My emo- tion caused me to leave the saloon, as per- haps you noticed.’ “ Your wife!” ‘ exactly — as I have explained. We were not happily mated and — well, she “You ran to the deck and escaped up IT. O20 basely, suddenly, and secretly deserted me, taking with her certain property to which she had no right. You will admit that the law permits one to recover stolen goods wherever found. This is it. I annexed it as mine. See!”’ He held up his hand, on a finger of which was a gentleman’s heavy gold ring into which yas sunk a good-sized diamond, and it was a beauty. ‘‘ That is pretty thin, sir,” I said severely. “ You robbed her. You changed your clothing—” ‘“ To protect you, doctor, ” he interrupted. ‘“ Had I been recognized as Mr. Dare, of the cabin, the result might have been de- plorable to you, to Captain Durand and to Dr. Savidge. As it was, happily the lady did not know me. She took me to be a thief, as I hoped.” “Then you are willing to face her and prove your relations?”’ ‘Hardly, doctor, for various reasons, among them the responsibility of having a wife, my income being low, and the fact that she does not want me. No; on the whole I think I will remain in my room— sick, you know. The steward will attend to my few wants until we reach Savannah. Come, sir. I have protected your secret as promised. If you persist in exposing me what will be the result? It will be found that ‘ have committed no crime, while you—”’ I didn’t care to hear the rest. “ How in the devil did you learn of my position here?” I interrupted. ‘Well, doctor, doubtless will continue to be, considerate. I must reciprocate. You have a butler, James Hennessy?” “Ves” | “To be frank, I don’t think James is quite reliable, doctor. He is, or was, a friend of mine. I called on him just after you left the house. I asked for a temporary Joan in order to leave the city. He refused it with a high-and-mightiness not at all be- coming in an old comrade,.but he made some amends by divulging the conditions of your departure. It gave me an idea. [ have been misunderstood by the authorities you have been, and and was anxious to go—anywhere. I had COMICHOOKS. COM