Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 191: what you’re looking at

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

BEWARE OF and I will unless you get out and let me have the only chance I—” “You won’t have to scream very loud, Mary!” Thomas said softly. “ Psst! Here’s more company!” ; rs 4 What? > D ] Thomas held up one hand for silence and turned his ear toward the door. It was ear-grown preternaturally sharp by this time; it could distinguish between steps, out there in the corridor; it had an extra sense which told it just those steps which were due to stop before the Thomas Hen- ning door. Nor had the extra sense erred this time. The steps stepped. The buzzer buzzed ‘sharply. And as if the same wire- had controlled them,. the curtains fell before «Mary Emerson and she herself vanished from the picture. Young Mr. Henning, lips compressed, Stared at the insensible young woman on the couch. He would not open the doot this time! Nay, though the buzzer buzzed until dawn painted the eastern sky with the ustal glorious tints, he would stand just where he was, soundiess, motionless! He smiled strainedly at the portal—and the knob turned and the latch, which Thomas even now had neglected to spring, gave and permitted the entrance of William Em- erson himself! William looked pale and dangerous as he closed the door after him, but he was quiet. “Henning,” he began—and stopped as his gaze fell upon Sally. » What the— what's that?”’ “ That—er—is Mrs. Noble!” Thomas explained weakly. “Until her husband gets wise, eh?” barked William, and the short laugh must have scorched ‘his very lips in passing. “You beat her, too, do you? Gad! What kind of a beast are you, anyway? Cave- man? Apache?” ‘“‘ Neither. The lady—” “ Don’t tell me about her. She doesn’t ' interest me,’ said William and, turning his back, cast Sally and her ostensibly shameful affairs out of his personal world. ‘ Hen- ning, I want to es your pardon again!” ¢ Eh?” THE BRIDE. . 343 “You're let out of that mess, at least, whatever you may be wallowing m here! I have the truth!” “What ts it?” “My wife’s gone with Noble!”’ Wilham stated. ‘* Peter?” “Yes! With Peter Nobile!” Wilham choked as fury clogged his throat. ‘‘ She’s gone with Peter. Did you know it?” “No, I didn’t know it,” said Themas with perfect truth. “TI think perjaps—” ‘ Oh, I’m not wrong!” young Mr. Emer- son laughed bitterly. “I’ve been doing a little detective work! Noble was the dog who checked her bag, down at the station, Henning. I’ve been down there and I wrung the truth out of Harkness. “They must have been going out and seen me wait—and decided to flee some other way! And fhat’s not all, by a long shot! I met this woman’s father, out on Bond Avenue—I met Henry Bond and he —ase told me the truth in so many words. “Mary was in his flat, Henning—in Noble’s flat, and now she’s gone with him! Could you have heheved it?” ! ‘““T cannot believe it now!” said Thomas. “You know what I'll do to him, don’t you?” William snarled. ° “T haven’t an idea.” William Emerson threw. back his coat for a mimute. Thomas started. Save in the movies and, perchance, in some more | remote sections of the Far West, he had imagmed, they never wore such ‘things— bat it was fact that William just now was wearing a shoulder holster from which pro- truded the ugly wooden butt of a heavy Colt revolver! “YH kill him!’’? William explained, al- most pleasantly. ‘I'll follow them thréugh this world, if I have to, and through hell itseli—but I'l get that dog before I ever eat or sleep again!” His fingers coiled about the wooden butt. Thomas endeavored to shake his head m a perfectly calm, sane, soothing manner. “ Weil, that’s very dramatic, Bill,” said he, “ but before killing him, Id be sure that—”’ ‘Tm sure now!” William said hotly. “The more I think of it, the more sure COLM G AOOLK (CO ww