Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

Unlovely as ever, his eye was cold and hard as he stopped directly before Thomas. ‘“'Where’s Mary?” he demanded, without one word of preface. “You—” Thomas sought to begin. “Huh?” said Uncle Arthur. ‘ Where's Mary ?”’ ‘““T haven’t got ber!’’ “JT didn’t_say you had! You're too damned smart for that, young feller, I'll give you that much credit!” Uncle Arthur rasped. “I asked you where she is?” “JT don’t know!” ‘“That’s a lie! You took her!” “ T did—what?” Uncle Arthur leaned on his stick and peered straight into Thomas Henning’s soul! “ You can’t fool me, Heming'” he stated, surprisingly. ‘‘ Yeu woke me up twice with your talk this afternoon and I heard you asking her to go somewhere with you! Huh? What say?” ‘“¥ didn’t say anything.” . “ And she’s gone now and nobody knows where she’s gone! Her husband’s looking foc her and he can’t find hide nor hair of her. J been looking for her. I’ve tele- phoned te forty-one people, her friends, in ' this kast hour, and there ain’t ome seen a sign of her since eight o’cleck to-night: Where is she?” Ts j—” ‘“ Because I’ve got your number, young feller, and I always have had it! Youre too pretty for your own gpod or any one else’s—and Mary’s 2 weak, wishy-washy girf. I know all that, but—’” “See here!” cred Thomas, partially re- covering himsetf. ‘‘ Why om earth are you accusing me of havimg seen Mary?” “ Flimmation!” Uncle Arthur cried. “That and horse-sense! There ain’t an- other one of her friends has seen her; you were begging her to go somewhere; and she sneaked off while I was asleep and dis- appeared. I dunno how far it’s gone and I dassent thmk; but no matter what you do with other women, Henning, no man can play fast and loose with the women of the Lawson family!” He paused with a puff, tr Bg some of the fury, he doubthess felt. ‘“ Don’t mis- ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. understand me for one second! k’m an old man or I’d crack every bone in your body, here and now, and throw the carcass out that window. Mary’s father ff probably do that when he gets back to town. “ What I’m after now is the girl herself. Where is she?” “T don’t know.” Several seconds, the elder gentleman’ S dreadful peermg persisted. Then he turned away. “So be it! Il have you jailed in half an hour!’’ he stated. “What for?” Thomas demanded. “Whatever Penderson, my lawyer, says it’s for! He'll find the way for met”. “ You're not—er—contemplating asrest- ing me?” escaped Thomas. “ Tah!” snarled Uncle Arthur. ‘ ]}—” Cane chitched, he whirled about, facing the door. His fingers leosened, then, and he stared: nor was he alone in his astoszish- ment, for Thomas also stared. Two more gentlemen were with them now—a large young man and a large old man, both of them with hard, clean-cut faces, greatly resernbling one another, both of them rather overwhelming in every way! “ Why—Deacon Pitt!” cried Uncle Arthur. ‘“ What ’n time are you here for, with the boy, at that?” ‘PR tell you what we're here. for!” the younger man stated, savagely, and ad- vasiced upon Thomas Henping so signif- cantly that Thomas took to backing. ‘“* That whelp called up my sister and—”’ ‘“Weldon!” the elder of the two. giants cried warnmgly. ‘‘ None of that, please!”’ ‘“T know, father, but no man cam say a thing like that about me without having his heck wrung!” the young man cried, as his hands twitched toward Thomas. “ He—”’ “No! Weldon, no!” said Weldon’s father, and gripped bis arm. “ IT know how you feel, lad, but youll keep your hands from him. That was our agreement in coming here. We'll take our full measure of satisfaction before we've finished with hun and give him no opportunity for coun- ter-suits!”’ He pushed his angered son aside with quite an effort. Large chun set, he glared at Thomas Henning. ECOMNIC HOG Ss COlini