Argosy, Vol. 85, No. 3 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

q> George C. Jenks YiSi es im 5 4 y 14, SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTERS ALREADY PRINTED. ARDEN BROOKE, a young farmer, has recently been appointed justice of the peace for Bells- ville, near Linhampton. Sam Vane, after capturing a thief in Brooke’s woods, hands over to Brooke the booty—valuable jewelry, stolen from the home of Dr. Bates in Linhampton— which Harden stows away in his attic for safe-keeping overnight. Meanwhile he hires a tramp, Claude Miller, as a farm hand, but in the morning Miller is missing, and in the attic, near the spot where he has concealed the jewels, Harden finds, lying unconscious, Letha Severly, pretty school- teacher, who boards with Harden and his sister Marion. night, but insists that it was not Miller. She says a man has. frightened her in the Brooke tries to get on the trail of the latter through telephone Central, and meanwhile drives in to Linhampton seeking other clues, but does not dare admit he has lost the jewelry committed to his care. Thus he is set into a panic when, on his way home, Raymond Bates hails him to say that he is going to motor out to Brooke’s place to identify and check up the jewelry in order to set his mother’s mind at rest. CHAPTER V. A BARGAIN OFFER. HILE Harden Brooke had his \¢ own troubles this morning, Miss Letha Severly calmly conducted the studies of about a score of boys and girls at the little school-house half a mile from the farm. ; There was nothing in Letha’s appear- ance to Suggest that she had passed through a terrifying experience during the night which might well have excused her absence from the school. In her well- fitting dark gown, relieved by a touch of white lace at throat and cuffs, and with her shining Titian hair in perfect order, she was quite as charming and efficient as usual, and the morning session moved along with its accustomed smooth- ness. No one saw any difference in ‘* teacher.”’ At noon there was the usual recess, and she had the room to herself, while the rampant crowd of youngsters, after consuming their lunches, played about outside. She had just disposed of her own sand- wiches and cake, put up for her by Marion, and had stepped to the window to gaze thoughtfully across the fields at the farmhouse which had suddenly be- come the scene of so much mystery, when the door opened and a heavy footfall made her turn. She felt resentful at once toward the man who stood before her. She did not like his white eyelashes, nor his smirk, This story began in the May Argosy. 441 1OOOLK C© inn