The Argosy, Vol. 90 No. 1 — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

THE FIFTH ACE. had reasserted itself, although the mystery remained as black and sinister as ever. Wiley, still ors de combat from his thrashing at Thode’s hands, could scarcely have been a factor himself in this new de- velopment; and if it proved to be the result of any of his agents’ activities, surely Dan would be able to find some trace. She passed a sleepless night, however, and arose to find a foot of snow glistening on the ground and the air keen and brittle with cold. No word came from Dan, and in the afternoon she threw discretion to the winds and went boldly to the Brooklyn house. Nothing had developed save that José had worried himself into a fever, and the Sefiora Rodriguez’s lamentations were tinged with a querulous resentment. The young senorita. was paying hand- somely for the hospitality to her friends, and she herself would gladly do anything to aid her country people, even if they were but Mexican-Spanish and not of the blood. Nevertheless, she was not to blame for the old sevora’s departure. She had not agreed to stand guard over her, and surely the Evil Eye had descended upon her house! She would nurse the little José as though he were her own, and the old senora’s room should be kept in readiness for her return; but she, Conchita Rodriguez, would worry her own head no longer! Willa placated the woman’s displeasure with promises of more generous pay, and arranged for extra care and comforts for José, whom the sevora evidently regarded with a tenderness born of superstition. To aid a jorobado brought luck to one’s hearthstone, even as the touch of his humped shoulders gave promise of good for- tune. Secure at least in the thought of his well- being, Willa was content to leave José in the hands of his irascible but kind-hearted landlady, stipulating that daily messages should be telephoned to her of his condi- tion. “ And if any one comes to inquire for him, remember that he is not here, please,”’ she added. ‘“‘ He and the senora have both gone; that is, unless a young American named Morrissey should appear. He is a 169 friend of mine, and trying to help me find the senora.” ‘““ Morrissey? I shall not forget.” Sefora Rodriguez repeated the name thoughtfully. ““No one has been here to-day but a plumber, who arrived without my order. He said there was a leak in the cellar next door which came from my house, and he did strange things to my pipes, so that now I can draw no water in my kitchen. Now my neighbor tells me there was no leak, and I cannot understand. They do singular things, these America- nos.” Willa returned to her home in a more despondent mood even than before, and a telephone call from Dan late in the evening did not tend to raise her spirits. “ve canvassed every hospital and in- stitution in the five boroughs!” he an- nounced. “I even tried the morgue; but there ain’t hide nor hair of the old lady. Looks like the earth might have opened and swallowed her up. I take it you don’t want me to report her missing at headquar- ters, do you?” “Only as the very last resort,” Willa re- sponded. ‘‘ We must avoid publicity if we can; although, of course, if she is ill or in any danger, I shall have to let every other consideration go.” “You leave it to me, miss!” The familiar slogan came as cheerfully as ever over the wire. “TI don’t think the old lady’s in bad, wherever she is. Nobody’d dare do any- thing to her, would they? It ain’t a rough- house gang that’s after her, from what you told me.” ‘““No, Dan. I am not afraid of any vio- lence to her at their hands. They will only worry and annoy her.” “Well, the chances are, if she just wan- dered off and lost herself, that somebody’s taken her in. I’m doin’ fine, so far. I had a grand talk with the dame over in Brook- lyn to-day, and she never once got on to me.” His tone was filled with such honest pride that Willa was loath to disturb it; yet she could not forbear remarking: ‘“‘T did though, Dan, when she told me what had been done to the plumbing. What did you find out from her?” comicbool< CO