Adventure Magazine Cover — page 161: what you’re looking at

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

In the Noon Peter, recovering his self-command with the revelation of their presence, took a step forward, his attitude courtly, yet reserved, inquisitorial. “T hope you won’t think this an imposi- tion.”” It was the woman who spoke first. Her voice was low, and there was an elusive suggestion of the foreigner in her accent. “But I must have shelter. I am ill, and——’’ She paused, as if for breath, and the man took up the appeal. “The motor’s stalled, sir.”” He was evi- dently her chauffeur. ‘‘We’ve been limping through drifts the past two hours, an cas ‘“T’m quite willing to pay you anything,” thewoman brokein. ‘ Your servant seemed disincline *. The interruption came, this time, from the old gentleman. “T do not keep a public house,” he said, alittle proudly. “I do not ente~tain strang- ers. My servant understands that.” “But in all humanity, sir,” waz 47 plea, her hand busy now in an eifort to raise her veil, “I am an ill woman.” “Humanity,” repeated Peter Hemming, in tone less austere, “is another matter. You spoke of payment.” He turned to the man. “And you?” he asked. “T can go on,” was the reply. ‘‘There’s nothing the matter with me; but you see Mrs.—the lady’s ali in, sir. Vil come back and fetch her in the morning, when the roads is broken. The snow’s about stopped al- ready.” “Very well, then.” It was at once a signal of consent and of dismissal. He was in haste to conclude the interview, nervous as he had been all the while, lest that cower- ing imbecile in the corner should humiliate him by sudden word or action. To Abijah, who had stood waiting, he made a gesture, and the old servitor, under- standing, plucked at the sleeve of the chauffeur’s fur coat. For the woman, Peter pushed forward a chair. ‘Be seated, madam,” he said. But before obeying she turned to her com- panion. “My satchel, Frederick,” she reminded m. While Abijah and the chauffeur were out of the room on her errand, and just as, hav- ing loosened her veil and turned it partially back over her motoring hood, she exposed a somewhat sallow, but nevertheless strik- ingly handsome face of the brunette type, otf the Moon 725 there occurred an incident which set poor Peter Hemming’s old heart to rapid, un- even, nervous pumping. For turning uneasily to enquire again as to Henry’s whereabouts and conduct, he was startled to discover that he had crept stealthily forward and was standing just be- hind him. Standing there, a dwarfish, horrid little figure, his wizened face evilly distorted, his eyes still abnormally bright, he was peering with sinister intentness upon the strange visitor. It was evident, however, that, still busy with her veil, she had not yet observed him, and Peter, in desperate hope of distracting him, ventured upon a shrilly whispered command to return to his chair. But the whisper not only failed of effect on Henry, who still stared, immovable, but served to attract the attention of the woman. Her gaze lifted and met that of her observer; and for just a moment Peter indulged a com- pensating hope that, alarmed by the spec- tacle, she might even yet decline the hos- pitality she had so craved and which he had so grudgingly granted. To his surprise, however, she evinced no sign of uneasiness. She seemed, indeed, scarcely interested, and the old gentleman, with some reluctance, accorded her a meed of admiration for what seemed to him a superb exhibition of self-control. He thought of this afterward when Abijah had shown her to the seldom occupied ground-floor guest-chamber across the hall, when the lights were out for the night, and the house quiet, and Henry, having at length been calmed, was snug in bed in the room adjoining his own. He thought of it as he lay wakeful in his great four-poster and reviewed the evening’s episode. It came to him as an odd sequel to Henry’s singular prescience and subsequent agita- tion. He wondered who the woman was, re- membering now that she had given no name. Indeed she had volunteered no information whatever, save that she was ill and required shelter. Whence she came or whither she was going had not been so much as hinted. And he had not even thought of inquiring. The experience distressed and disquieted him. His old brain teemed with a score of conjectures which contended with sleep. Once he fancied that he heard Henry mov- ing in the next room. Later an echo seemed to reach him from the floor below. Finally, CORMICLOO© S (CO)