Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 3 — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

558 had had some sort of.secret affair afoot, with Thomas Henning as the party invit- ing death; but when this had been proven a fallacious notion, other circumstances— as definite as the flat statement of Sally Noble and her father—had pointed indu- bitably to Peter Noble as the underlying cause. Mary, according to Sally, had been there in the flat, with Peter or Thomas or both; but taking Horace’s statement as credible —and Horace was probably the most re- liable little tale-bearer alive — Mary was not there at all, but was at this moment dancing with an armored knight im the or- nate structure across the street just before his fevered eyes. Confusing, then, was too mild a word to ‘describe William’s muntal state. He stopped for a moment before the slightly . open door of the Thorndyke mansion and diverted himself by snorting and grindmg his teeth. They were all Mary’s fnends; one and all of them doubtless—excepting only the faithful Horace—had helped deliberately to pull the wool over his eyes, but he was about to learn cold fact now. A last instant Wiliam paused before walking in. He was cooling off, in the most unpleasant and ominous fashion; the odd sensation in his head he ascribed to a_ isn clearing brain!. That was it! Weak and susceptible, Mary had been dragged into an affair ef which he was about to grasp the true nature; and if it was as serious as all these precautions of Mary’s friends might seem to indicate—William stepped in! They were not dancing just now. They ‘were standing about and walkmg about in groups and the queerest air of constraint and suspense seemed to nang over the gathering. William paused a moment, here and there, to listen; they were chattering in queer undertone. They were talking about the good old feud and-—well, the feud did not interest William, albeit he sought a person in a really feudal suit of iron clothes. He peered about. He started and smiled — terribly. There they were! There was the knight ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. over in that little alcove, and there was Mary with him! She did seem a shade taller than Mary; William looked at the feet and smiled more terribly. Those shoes explained it; they had never been made for Mary, because they were far too big, but the inordinately high heels made clear the slightly increased height. William strode directly to the alcove and — into it. The young ‘women did not even turn; she was smiling beautifically up at the iron helmet just then and, aparently, she had not heard William at all. “Mary!” Wilhtam repeated. ‘““ Wait!” said the voice of Thomas Hen- ning, just beside him. : Wilham started. Herining, although he should have been m his flat across the Street, was actually there; he had acquired an overcoat and he was pushing against William in a very odd way. “Get out of this!” William - whispered fiercely. “ all right!’ muttered Thomas, with a strange little gasp of reltef, as ne backed off. “ J—er-Sthought—” His hand dropped suddenly into ‘his overcoat pockets. “ Don’t think!” William advised. “ This ‘t your affair! Git!” And he turned back to the girl in blue with: “ Mary, take off that mask!” ‘. He 1s talking to me!” the girl utformed her knight. “You bet he is!” William laughed sav- ‘ Take off that mask!”’ “Say, Emerson!” came warmly from the helmet. ‘“ What’s the idea? Is it sup- posed to be funny or have you gone crazy?” > “Tl attend to your case in about one seCond!”’ said William as he reached for the mask. It is possible, in that last second, that the chin, the lips, the ears, did not seem quite like Mary’s, to William. This, how- ever, will never be known. William’ s hand went up. And Willram’s hand came down more rapiily, and the reason for this was that.an iron arm had pounded down upon his own. COMIC agely. NDOO|KKS Colin