Adventure Magazine Cover, October 1911 — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

1084 temptuously. “I am glad you loosed the chain and let us have this intimate view of his teeth before kis chain was on your neck —the chain of matrimony.”’ Suddenly she turned again to Agnew. “There has been no mistake?” she said. ‘“‘How did you get this news?”’ “‘Personally,” he said with a dry smile. “T saw him.” “You yourself! Castle of Jeka?” ‘““No, but I have seen him in it. And I have seen other things—of greatet im- portance. I have seen how Esuli held up the water which used to flow subterrane- ously from the Jeka arm. I have seen how to release it again. I have also seen how to enter his domain—if the need arises. I have the key of Esuli’s back door.”’ _ “You spied—at night?” ‘“‘No, by day. Yesterday at sunset I overlooked Esuli’s barrack-yard. An hour later I was back in the ravine of Slivnitz. Doyou understand the significanceof that?’”’ ‘Yes! You have found the subterranean channel! You entered it from the Gorac end!”’ ‘““Exactly!’’ His voice was vibrant with exultation. ‘‘We write check to one de- vice of the opposition at any rate. There were two openings into the tunnel. The first which we explored leads out upon the mountainside on a level with Esuli’s roof. The other, which we examined later and which we closed by blasting, is below the You have been in the lake level. A pinch of dynamite is the key to that! It locked it. It will unlock it again!”’ (Niel SHE thrilled to the ring of triumph asked softly. “Now? Work! The matter of the em- bankment and the morass is settled. They have become things we can arrange at leisure. We press on with other needs.” ‘‘And the ravine and the bridge?”’ she asked. Her father looked at her curiously. There was suppressed anxiety in her tone as if something for which she herself was re- sponsible awaited an answer. This was no mere curiosity. She spoke as colleague speaks to colleague when the lines of their research converge. And Agnew did not answer—for the moment. The light of assurance died from | Wo, ! in his tones. “And now?” she, Adventure his features. A shadow grew in his eyes. ‘“There I make no progress. And you?” he asked. Gresham stared from one to the other. Katrine? She was working to read that baffling riddle? How? ‘“‘T have done well—to my thinking,” she said calmly. ‘‘I have made my impression. I toil to deepen it. She conceives that there is a bond between us. She is not yet satis- fied of its strength. She waits, before she sets herself to cut it, because she can not make up her mind how keen a weapon she must use. So far, I think, she has not got beyond the goad of her own personal beauty.”’ The elder man was staring at his two com- panions in entire bewilderment. Katrine looked up—at Agnew. “You must see her,” said Gresham’s daughter earnestly. ‘She knows of your presence here. You must continue to do your part.” He lifted his eyes and stared at her morosely. ‘‘I don’t like it!”’ he said. “I don’t like it! Itis a part beneath you—and —now—beyond me!”’ She drummed her fingers on the table. ‘““That is not fair,’ she said quickly. “J am doing my part. I have paid my price in humiliation. You must do yours.” “‘T am no actor!”’ he said harshly. am not convincing.” “Be yourself!” she said, and there was an odd ‘cadence in her voice. ‘Be hard, un- relenting, indifferent! She will convince her- self. Then she will learn your price!’’ And she smiled at him—a queer provoking smile. ‘‘T hate it!”’ he cried in exasperation. ‘‘It humbles me—under your eyes.” Her smile faded instantly, but again a throb of happiness leaped in her heart. Had he got back as far as this? Could he do nothing sordid, simply because she—the woman whose faith he had questioned—was there to watch it done? ‘“No,” she said quietly. ‘‘ Nothing hum- bles you when you do it for your honor’s sake—and for the road. And now, with all these forces arrayed against us, your honor and the completed road count as one ”’ The sullen expression died from his face. He shrugged his shoulders. He even began to smile. ‘Very well!”’ he answered, and moved toward the door. ‘‘I will go and be —myself. And then back to Gorac and— thank God—men’s work again!” sk i CO CloOOkKS ©