Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 21, 1922 — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

94 He dug stubby fingers into Shelby’s arm and marched him along the street till they came to the station which Shelby and Simp- son had visited earlier in the evening. The policeman hustled Shelby inside. He marched him up to the grating. Beyond it a gray-haired man and Simpson were talk- ing together. The gray-haired man looked up. ‘ All right, Bolton,” he said. ‘“‘ We don’t want that boy now. Turn him loose. There’s a new angle to that case. We've got our man: locked up.” The policeman grinned sheepishly and. re- leased his hold of Shelby. went out into the street. him. “That was Simpson in there,” Shelby said. ‘ Shall I tell him you said he was a fresh guy? He’s a friend of mine.” “Vou better get out of here before I run you in,” the policeman said. Shelby hastened out to the car line again. In spite of the fact that he had been with- out sleep he had never felt more awake in his life. He was no longer hunted and he was going to see a girl with gray eyes. The girl opened the door of her home herself. Her eyes had a tired look in them, but they brightened at sight of Shelby. ‘T just want to tell you something,” Shel- by said. “I won’t keep you a minute.” ‘Come in, please,” she said. He followed her into the hall, and she turned and faced him, searching his eyes. ‘“What is it?” she asked. “Osborne is under arrest for killing Thornton,” Shelby said. ‘“‘ Silent Simpson- told me a while ago that that confession was no longer in existence. He took it from Osborne’s room and destroyed it.” The girl stood staring at him for a mo- ment. Then a rush of tears filled the gray eyes. She turned and walked blindly into the room at her. right. There was silence in the house for sev- eral minutes. Shelby was undecided what to do. Delicacy urged him to leave, but he felt as if he could not go till he had seen her restored to herself. She was gone so long that he had turned to the door to open it. Shelby followed (The He turned and Then she appeared. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, in the doorway. She had conquered her tears, but there were traces of them on her cheeks and in her eyes. ‘“‘ Forgive me,” she said in a low voice. “ But the thought that I would no longer have to worry about that—that mother and I were safe—overwhelmed me, Come in and tell me about yourself.” Shelby followed her into the room. They sat down as they had sat the night before. He told his story. She laughed when he told about his belated arrest. ‘“‘ There’s one thing I-don’t understand,” Shelby said. “I don’t see now what help you expected for yourself from my getting hold of Osborne’s. typewriter. That had nothing to do with what you were interested in, except as it might prove Osborne guilty of killing Thornton.” A bright flush leaped into the girl’s face. ‘““ Why,” she said, “I didn’t expect any- thing from it—for myself. I thought it might help to establish your innocence. I wanted to help you.” Shelby sat looking into her eyes. very easy to look into her eyes now. “Oh,” he said at last, “I see.” There was a moment’s silence. ‘““T must go,” Shelby said. “I’ve got to get back to work. I must see the chief. Then I'll have to look up that woman who helped me to escape from Osborne and the policeman. Then I must see Sweeney or send word to him that Ill pay him back that ten I owe him. And I ought to see Simpson for a minute. Ill have to go up in the woods and see if my clothes are worth digging up. I—” ‘You have so very much to do that I suppose I won’t see you again,” the girl said. ‘ Gee,” Shelby broke out, “ I knew that’s the way you’d be the minute you didn’t have anything to worry about! I’ll be back ds soon as I get myself squared away. I want to see you.” “Well, I won’t keep you now,”’ she said. She put out her right hand, and Shelby took it. He slowly advanced his left hand and she laid her left hand in it. She looked up at him, smiling faintly, with a shy, adorable light in her gray eyes. It was end,) comicloool C©