The Argosy for May — page 195: what you’re looking at

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

- Man. 382 The man in the brown derby turned swiftly. His jaw hardened as he caught sight of the alert-eyed young man com- ing up the aisle. ‘Why, auntie!’’ exclaimed Marion. ‘“ Whatever is the matter? What has happened ? ” ‘““ Marion!’ Miss Hutchison gasped the question. ‘What are you doing with that—that man?” “Oh- it’s Tom—Tom | Clinton!” the girl answered hastily. Let me intro- duce you. ‘om, this is—” “Stop!” the ‘little lady checked her. ‘Then, aquiver with indignation, she stepped forward and faced the young man. ‘So you are the man who dares to love my niece!” and she addressed him in a voice which trembled with anger. ‘You—a common thief, a—”’ “Why, aunt!” Marion amazedly. “Stop!” her aunt interrupted her. ‘Marion, you have been deceived in this He is a thief—a criminal!” ‘There is some mistake here, I’m positive,’ and the young man addressed the indignant, flashing-eyed lady before him. ‘ You surely do not mean—’” “You surely do not mean to deny that you gave me this bag, do you?”’ his accuser cried fiercely. _ “I gave it to you, yes!” the other an- “swered surprisedly. ‘ But—’” “That will do,’ Miss Hutchison broke ine “You gave me this bagful of stolen lace and jewelry and other things. You hear that? ”’ and she turned excited- ly to the black-mustached man who now stood behind her. ‘‘ He admits that he gave the bag to me—he is the one you can take before your manager and search! Show him this ‘slick’ shop- lifter!” “Will you let me explain— ion’s companion began. “Explain!” scornfully demanded Miss Hutchison. ‘ Explain—what have you to explain?” ‘ Marion,’”’ as she turned to her niece, standing in wide-eyed astonishment be- side her, ‘“‘ this—this man came up to me in this store half an hour ago and gave ime this bag. He told me he picked it up from the floor near me—I had left my own bag here on this counter, and so broke in ”” Mar- “bag belongs? ” THE ARGOSY. took this case to be mine—and then he hurried off. “Inside the bag is a mass of stolen property. ‘This man was probably pur- sued through the store, wished to get rid of his loot, and so turned it over to me. You see—”’ fe “Wait!” The young man stepped determinedly forward. ‘You must let me explain. I gave you this bag, just as you said I did, telling you that I had picked it up. from the floor behind you. That is true; I found the bag and gave it “to you because you were the nearest woman to it without a bag of some sort, and I thought it belonged to you. But { did not know what was in it. I never saw it before I picked it up—it was | not mine!” Miss Hutchison stared at him speech- | lessly. His story was plausible; there was no reason why it could not be true. And he was the man her niece loved. Marion surely would know if he were a criminal, Perhaps she had made a mistake in accusing him. But— “But if you are not guilty,’ she stammered faintly, ‘“ who is the shoplift- er to whom this bag belongs? ”’ The man in the brown derby cleared his throat and stepped out from behind the little lady. ‘“Now, don’t make ‘a fuss about this right out in the open,” he cautioned the three. “You don’t want to rouse the whole store, do you?” They looked at him in silence. ‘““T’m the house-detective,’ the man explained to the girl and her fiancé. “We can arrange this thing, if you'll keep quiet, so there won’t be any scandal in which the old lady ’—nodding at Miss Hutchison—“ is mixed up. Just keep cool now, and I’ll fix this thing.” ‘But who is the thief to whom this the little lady asked worriedly. ‘“ Until he is found, I shall be under suspicion because I have the: stolen goods.” “IT don’t know who he is,” replied Marion’s friend, “but I’m going ‘to see if I can’t find him.” : He turned away. As he passed Marion, he whispered in her ear: ‘This is my chance. trouble ; Your aunt is in and if I can get her out of it, 4‘ mn Ghbooks (C@