Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

$72 “ She faints horribly!’’ Mary Anurmured. “JT never saw anybody faint like that be- fore!”’ “ Well, that’s what she has done, never- theless,”’ said Thomas, as he slipped an arm under Sally and lifted. “ Ill put her in the chair there and—”’ “ You take her out and put her on that couch in the living-room!” little Mrs. Em- erson directed, sharply. ‘‘ You can’t stay in here!”’ “ AH right!”’ muttered young Mr. Hen- ning, and finally eutbered the limp form in his arms. laid it upon the couch. Mrs. Emerson watched silently, as he bent over Mrs. Noble, slapped her hands and finally lifted a lid and gazed at one eye for a moment. Sally did not stir. However swiftly she might have emerged from the former faint- ing spell, this one was a more thorough and a much more scary job! The conscious part of Sally Noble was far, far away in that mysterious region where such con- sciousnesses are entertained. “It looks serious!”? Thomas muttered. ‘* How serious?” Mary inquired. “Tl have to get a doctor, I think— scandal or no scandal.” “But not yet!’’ Mary said quickly. Thomas scowled his warm perplexity. “T don’t know, Mary,” he said. “I’m no expert on these things. It’s going to make an awful mess if I get in a strange medical man and—”’ “That wasn’t what I meant,” the un- usual Mrs. Emerson added eagerly. “Is she really going to—to be like that for a while?” “‘T fear so.” “It #s just a faint?” 6 Why—yes.” Mary smiled strangely. “You go out of here for five minutes, ‘Tom!”’ she ordered, and in her voice there was a weird, tremulous sweetness. éé Whatre’”’ “ Yes, go out and walk up and down the hall, er somewhere, for five or six minutes. Then you can come back.” “ But—” “Tom, will you please just stop asking . fiercely. Quickly enough, he crossed the room and. _ 89 in. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. _ questions and go out?” Mary demanded, and her voice rose. “‘ Must you ruin every- thing, every time, by hesitating until it’s too later Can’t you understand anything at all? Can’t you see that this is the one chance?” “ For what?” ‘“ For me to get some clothes! get some clothes!” Mary shriled. Thomas Henning caught his breath. “What do you mean, Mary?’ Not—not the clothes she’s wearing?” “What other clothes?’’ Mary demanded “Will you please—please /—just go out and leave me alone with her for five—”’ For me to “ And what about me, after it’s all over?” | . Thomas inquired flatly, because surely it was a time for plain speaking. “Well? Well? What about you?” “Mary, I’m already entertaining one lady—yourself—in a slightly embarrassing —er—costume, as I assume.”’ “Youll be rid. of her, if you'll just }” ‘ Possibly, but I’ll have another one on my hands in the same state,” Thomas Hen- ning said doggedly. “I don’t see it at all, Mary! I'll do anything under the sun for you—anything but that! “ Pll—listen! If you'll swear to stay just where you are—if -you’ll swear not to lay a finger on Sally while I’m gone, Ill get into her apartment and steal every stitch she owns, Mary! On my word of honor, I’ll steal everything wearable that she owns and bring it to you—clothes, dresses, shoes, gloves, hats, _ stockings, everything! Yes? Will you do that?” A bare arm detached itself from some- where behind the curtain; its hand clasped upon Mary’s troubled brow. “Tom, will you please—please! Please! —just go out and leave me alone with her for five minutes, while there’s still time?” Mary pleaded, and her very soul was in her words. | * Not until you promise!”’ Mary’s pupils grew larger. ‘Do you know that I can ruin us all ' just by screaming and screaming at the top of my lungs?” she demanded. ‘“ Do you want me to do that? Because I can EOMRIC OG SS —_ awe = «wa « & G ¢ Lf