Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 191: what you’re looking at

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

Bogus “Dare? Dare?” I repeated and sig- nificantly gestured my surprize that any one dared not meet me in daylight, yet come at such an hour and in such a ‘manner. “On, - 3" tant quickly, feverishly. I watched her closely. If that was acting it was good acting. But one is always at a disadvantage with women unless they are distrusted and even then one doesn’t have much security. \ “Would you prefer to explain to me —or to the police?” I asked coolly. If she had known as much about me as she thought she did, she would have known that I never called on the police. They.sometimes called on me; but I explain,’ she said shall say this for them: they were always — polite. She did not know of my aversion to signaling a policeman: she did not know that I never go to them. She shuddered and sat upright with a jerk. .“Oh, please, no! Can’t you be gener- ous? Please. I must have that casket. IT must have it! I can’t pay an enormous sum, but Ill pay everything I have!’ I scowled and slowly shook my head. It irritates me to be begged. “Why,” I asked coldly, “are you afraid -of Blackstone? He is a poisonous, cow- ardly little snake.” “T know it,” she whispered’almost in- audibly. “He is my, husband!” I nodded slowly as if I believed her. I did not wholly disbelieve her. No. I simply didn’t trust her. She had brains, that woman, and I could not imagine such a woman as she being taken in by a fellow like that. My hearing is sensitive, exceptionally acute, and I thought that I heard a sound not unlike a restless, impatient slip of hand or foot outside of my door. My ears listened; my eyes watched her. “Everything is there?” she asked, in- dicating the casket. “Yes, everything is on that table,” I replied, glancing toward it. ' On the table were papers, a bulbous vase from which half a dozen fragrant carnations raised their ragged blossoms, a book or two and the casket, bulking black and solidly against the vase. I then said that she should tell me why “she was so anxious to have that casket and its bogus gems. I said it in rae ; ~~ 177, such a way as to imply the threat that she would perhaps regret her silence if she refused, but I did not hold out any kind of promise. “ ‘He made me come,” she whispered excitedly. ‘He said you wouldn’t shoot a woman. Honestly!’ I knew Blackstone would not hesitate to do a thing of the kind but I could not imagine him making a woman such as she was do anything she did not care to do—particularly turn robber to steal paste. ; ' Gems T was a peculiar situation, indeed. The husband, or alleged husband, list- .ening at the door wherein his wife had entered as a burglar; I.fully aware that he was at the door, yet pressing his wife on threat of arrest to tell me things which might infuriate him. It was not only a peculiar situation but also one that did not displease me. She was afraid of him, or seemed to be, and she did not quite trust me. mutual. I simply listened to what she said. I did not believe her and yet scarcely disbelieved her. , She seemed -trying to make up her mind to. be frank—or to appear frank. It usually amounts to the same thing in a woman. There is one great disadvan- tage in distrusting women: when they are truthful, one is sure not to believe them, and a woman is never so danger- ous.as when she is truthful. She made several beginnings, said a word, paused, started again, hesitated, then removed her mask and fingered the elastic with which it had been fastened about her head. My ears were very intent on the door and, without appearing to move so as to be in a better position to glance at it, | edged around a little. I had the strong feeling that something was about to ‘happen. At last she threw down the mask as if indicative of her decision to throw her story to me, but whether or net she had decided to tell a true story or had simply decided on what lie would suit was rather difficult to decide. If it were a false story, I could not compliment her itnagination. voice and leaned forward cenfidentially as if not to be overheard. But, I said ~ Ss CORMMCEOOO The distrust was It was commonplace | _ enough to be true. She speke in a low