Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 62: what you’re looking at

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

i a «4. 2. ie _ ition if $, A a <_ a Pe -° fy 1 d irph Ncah i f - rrr es oe oe wt vf F\ das? hi wens EV ALS T Peal O tote ‘ fh Wie ae ‘ . ASS o>? 60 | : Adventure and her splendid eyes showing a perfect self-control, was Nellie Blaydon. “Oh, Fenton, that’s good of you,” Blay- don said by way of greeting as Ward climb- ed up to them. ‘I wanted to tell you some things that I didn’t want those two fellows to overhear. That’s why I asked for you - to come here. I’ve had terrible news—ter- rible.”’ Ward murmured a word of unintelligible sympathy. “It’s knocked me out completely,” Blay- don continued, “and poor Mrs. Herriot fainted dead away on.the spot. She’s be- low now, all broken up. I’ve got 'to take her right back to New York where she can get medical attention.” “T’m sorry,’ Ward said evenly. ‘‘Can I help in any way?” “Yes; that’s just it. That’s why I want- ed to talk to you. You see, my worst fears about my poor brother have been con- firmed.” There was a catch in his voice as he spoke the last words, a suggestion of a sob choked back by a great effort at self-mastery. It brought to Ward’s memory the declaration of Carl Loder that it was rotten acting. He wondered whether the mechanician could be right. “The message that this fellow brought to- day,” Blaydon continued, ‘‘was from Daniel Carter, a man employed on Caprice for many years aS engineer, captain, quarter- master and general factotum. He was a confidential employee of my brother—had, in fact, been practically raised and educated by Otto.” “Ves,” said Ward. ‘Miss Blaydon told ~. me of him when I was in Baltimore.” “Carter and another man of the crew es- caped when Caprice went down. My broth- er—”’ Stephen’s voice sank to a solemn whisper—“drowned as they tried to save ~ 3 Ward glanced involuntarily at the girl. - She still stood where he had first seen her, in much the same pose. She gave no sign of the shock that such news might be ex- pected to cause. There was not a hint of tears nor of heartache. Instead, she kept her fine eyes fixed upon her uncle in that same even, level gaze, glancing aside to meet Ward’s look for an instant, but once more turning to Stephen Blaydon as though she were determined to let no shade of fleet- ing expression on his face escape her. There was dignity and poise in every line of the splendidly erect figure. Even her hand, as it rested on the back of a chair, gave no hint of nervous tension. She was perfectly self-possessed, completely mistress of herself in this crisis. Again the aviator murmured convention- al words of sympathy as he saw that Ste- phen Blaydon was pausing for him to say something. “Carter and another man,” Blaydon con- tinued, ‘‘drifted for days, clinging to a piece of driftwood until they landed on the coast. They made their way on foot to the nearest town, phoned Baltimore, found out I was here and immediately wired me. They must have landed away off from civilization, for it took them a long time to reach a town. I’m going to send them word to rush right to New York, for it puts me in a devil- ish lot of legal tangles—about the estate, you know—and they’ll all have to be ar- ranged there by Otto’s lawyers. And I’m going to take Mrs. Herriot with me because she’s gone all to pieces about it.” He paused and moistened his lips. There was a suspicion of sweat on his brow and he shifted uneasily from one foot to the other as though the steadily maintained si- lence of his two listeners was making him nervous. Once he glanced at Nellie and flushed darkly as he saw the unswerving gaze that she kept upon him. “So I’m going to ask you to do something for me—for Nellie and all of us,” he went on at length, his words coming more quick- ly and feverishly. ‘Nellie’s acting splen- didly—bearing up wonderfully, as you can see for yourself, but you know how it is with women. They beat us men all hollow when the first shock comes, but they cave in all of a sudden afterward. Sort of reac- tion, I suppose. I’m afraid Nellie’ll be that - way, though she assures me she won’t. You'll stay right here with her, won’t you? That’s a good fellow. I'll appreciate it; in fact I'll make it a business proposition if you like.” Ward shook his head with a smile which he tried hard to make reassuring. “There need be no business proposition,” he said. “TI have no flying engagements at present. I will stay with Miss Blaydon and do everything I can to help her.” He turned to the girl. “No matter what hap- pens,” he added with a glance which he saw she understood. Gomichbooks (EO)