Argosy, Vol. 85, No. 3 — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

FACING A CRISIS, across his mouth, and replied in a tone of puerile petulance: , ‘“‘ Of course I’m sure. The moon hadn’t quite gone down. It was a little package done up in paper. I heard the paper crackle. The other man opened it and held up something that glittered and sort of tinkled. ‘ Hello,’ says I. ‘ That guy must have pinched Brooke’s jewelry while he was in there! Gee!’ says I.” ‘““ Never mind what you said,” she broke in. ‘“ What did the men do?” Claude Miller lcoked pained, and his loose under lip quivered, as if he were about to make a tearful remonstrance. But she didn’t give him time. ‘The quickest way will be for me to repeat your story as you told it this morning, and if I make any mistakes, you can correct me. But do it ‘in very few words. If you are to keep out of prison, we must hurry.” ‘“* But, Letha—”’ he whined. “Keep quiet and listen,”’ she admon- ished. “When I saw Harden Brooke taking you up to your bed-room last night I had no chance to speak to you. But I’d had the letter from Margaret telling me that Tolman was coming here after you.” “How did he know I would be here, and who told Margaret?” _ She silenced him with a flash of her dark eyes, and went on, rapidly: ‘“My poor sister cares for you, though you’re such a poor excuse for a man that I don’t know why.” ‘“T’ve always been good to her,” he bleated. “ When I had work, and before they framed that job on me at the Imperial Market, I gave her all I made, and—”’ “So, early this morning,” she con- tinued, “I did what I’d been trying to work up courage for all night. I went up to your room and told you. to get away and come here to the school.” “Yes, that was a good thing. I gave you back the key, didn’t I?” The tendency of his mind to run on small things was characteristic. She did 449 not trouble to answer, but warned him with a gesture to pay attention. ‘When you got to the ground, you lay down behind the bushes, to make sure no- body had seen you. Soon these two men came over the lawn, and one of them climbed up to your window. He was in -the house about ten minutes—”’ “ Fifteen, I should say.” “Well, fifteen. Then he came down and gave the package to the waiting man.” “That’s how it was,” assented Miller, eagerly. ‘‘ They talked for a while, fuss- ing about who should keep the package. Then the guy who had it—not the one who had been in the house—swore and said something I didn’t hear, except I got the word ‘Syracuse,’ and thought he talked about a ‘bank’ and ‘safe.’ I know he said ‘box.’ But it was all jumbled up and he talked down in his throat. There was something about ‘ mer- chandise’ or ‘ mercantile,’ too.” “That will do. You'll stay here till I come back with some food. I don’t know how long I shall be. Mind you don’t show yourself at the window.” She had opened the door, and after cautiously surveying the road both ways, was about to step out, when Claude Miller laid a tremulous hand on her arm. ‘“ Look here, Letha! You know I didn’t do that thing in Philadelphia, don’t you?” he pleaded. ‘Tf I didn’t feel certain of it, I wouldn’t raise my hand for you—not even for my sister’s sake,’’ was her clean-cut answer, as she went out and closed the door, listening to make sure he turned the key inside. Any one who might have seen this trim, pretty girl walking easily down the road in the direction of the Harden Brooke . farm, loose ends of her shining hair blow- ing about her cheeks, would certainly have been attracted by her elflike beauty. On the other hand, he would have ridiculed the suggestion that weighty matters were on her mind. As she entered the house loud voices in the office made her pause. comicloool C©