Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

80 pe Adventure ~ “Do you believe this telegram genuine?” she continued. He looked at her admiringly. “By Jove!” he exclaimed. something I had not thought of. I see what you mean. It may be only another lure or trick of theirs?”’ “Tt is worth considering,” she said. “If Greiner’s telegram to Mr. Conway is genu- ine, then the message to him signed by Mr. Conway and evidently urging him to come down here at once was probably the trick one.”’ ‘“‘That is more likely,’ Ward said after a moment’s thought. “I believe I can see how this is all working out. Phil knew too much and they have got him. You and Carl and I know too much; they planned to get us and probably are hoping to succeed now that we are supposed to be isolated down the shore. The only other man who knows too much——’”’ She nodded excitedly. “Ts Greiner,’”’ she finished for him. “So they are luring him down into that inac- cessible country around Hackett’s where . they have established their new ieee ters and there they will——” She shuddered a the thought that her reasoning had conjured up. “Oh, it grows more and more horrible!” she cried. “I did not believe there were such fiends in the world.” “They will stop at nothing,’ Ward said between grimly set teeth. ing for big stakes, I suppose—” He paused and looked at her with a puzzled knitting of his brows. ‘‘Miss Blaydon,” he asked, “‘do you know anything about your father’s will —how it will provide for your Uncle Ste- phen, I mean?” She started and looked up at him in ‘hor- ror. “T understand ‘what you mean,” she said. “T do not know much about it. Father has, of course, mentioned the subject to me sev- - eral times. It was his intention to divide the estate between us evenly. Much as he disliked Uncle Stephen’s mode of life and Jack of business ambition, he did not feel that he had any right to leave grandfather’s money outside of the family.” - “His death, then, would leave your uncle a wealthy man?’ “Oh, yes!” _ “Several millions, I imagine.” Ves,” “That was. “They are play- ‘“‘And as things have been, he has had nothing?” “Nothing except the allowance that father has always given him. It was enough to keep him comfortably, but not enough to let him get himself into trouble.” “T see,” Ward muttered. ‘“Then I should say that the stakes are well worth her play- ing for.” “Her?” The girl’s tone was both an ex- clamation and a question. “Yes,” said Ward with a sneer. “The ‘her’ being, of course, the sprightly Mrs. Herriot.”’ She nodded slowly while a frown of deep disgust gathered on her forehead. “Of course,’ she agreed. ten what we ‘overheard down there on the shore. She is just Uncle Stephen’s style and she evidently has him completely under her control.” He rose suddenly to his feet. “We must act at once,” he said. ‘“‘The first thing to be done is to prove whether Greiner’s telegram is genuine. [If it is, it means that he is coming down here to his own death. We must save him. Whether it is or not, it means that Phil Conway is or was, near Hackett’s and we must save him —if it is not too late.” She put out her hand in quick sympathy. “You were fond of him, weren’t you?” she asked softly. He clenched his fists as he turned his burning eyes to her. “T cared more for him than any one in the world,” he said and then added, “‘ex- cept one.” ,A quick flash of pain came into her eyes and he saw her catch her breath. “‘There is another, then?” she asked, very low. “Ves.”’ His voice was almost a whisper and it shook with suppressed passion. “There is another now. There was not a week ago.” He saw the quick color spring up to her cheeks, but the pain fled from her eyes and she rose nervously. “We must feat out about that eloneagae she reminded him gently. going to do it?” It was not a rebuff. Oversensitive as he has become with the deep brooding over his foolhardy love, he would quickly have sensed any tone,of, reproval in her words, but there was none. Eomichbooks “How are you. His blood pulsed “T had forgot-— (Ee)