Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 3 — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

452 away from her. ‘“ You don’t seem to like me, do your” She could not help laughing. The inan- ity of the fellow was both disgusting and comic. Her laugh jarred to an abrupt stop. “ Do you think it strange, Mr. St. Gore?” ‘“ Really, you know,” said St. Gore, “ I’ve tried most awfully not to offend you. If my manners have been bad I know you will excuse me. You see, I’m a little troubled with absent-mindedness.”’ “H-m!” grumbled Patricia, and she seemed very masculine and formidable as she frowned thoughtfully down at him. “The more I see of you, Mr. St. Gore, I wish that I could de to you what I am go- ing to do to the Whisperer.” He was frankly, guilelessly interested at once. “Oh, are you going to do something to the Whisperer?”’ “T am going to see him captured,” said Patricia smoethly, “and either shot down or else hanged from the highest cetton- wood-tree on the ranch.” “Dear me!” cried Goggles, distressed, “ you're such a violent person, aren’t you?” “ And I’m almest sorry to have it dene,” went on Patricia, “ because something in me admires the man in spite of his crimes. At least he has, strength and courage and power of action. I wish—lI wish that some one of your nature were to be in his place.” “ Like me!” gasped poor Goggles, and he edged further away along the rail. ‘“ Stand where you are!” cried Patricia sternly. He stopped with a jerk, and his eyes wid- ened. ‘“ But I can’t do that,”’ she went on, and paused to meditate. “I wonder,” began St. Gore timidly, as if he feared that she would snap at him in the middle of his question—“ I wonder how you will attack the Whisperer. never killed a woman—but I suppose he would—he’s such a terrible fellow. Quite uncontrollable, you know.” ‘“‘ Perhaps,”’ said Patricia, ‘“‘ you have heard of Chic Woods, Harry Yale, Jack Tucker, and Bob Riddle?” « Oh, yes,” murmured Goggles, “ “and I don’t think you could have named four He has ARGOSY- ALLSTORY WEEKLY. rougher men. Really, you know, they are the sort one doesn’t mention—in certain places.” ‘“T have hired them,” said Patricia calm- ly, “to do the work which the law could not or would not perform.” She considered him again, thoughtfully. ‘‘ And in some way I’m going to use you, Mr. St. Gore, but just how I can’t tell.” The man seemed to have a special talent for asinine expression of face—utter empti- ness of eye. But now a dawn of Intelligence lighted his eyes. “By jove!” he cried, and straightening he clapped his hands together and laughed with soft glee to himself. ‘I have it!” “ Have what?” asked Patricia. “You see,” explained Goggles eagerly, “it?s been useful now. and then, but on the whole an awful nuisance to have the Whis- perer trailing me about. I’d give almost anything to have the rude fellow—er— disappear!” “You would?”’ “So suppose I go out to your ranch and act—well, as a sort of bait for your trap. The Whisperer is sure to follow me. He’s like my shadow, in fact.” “Do you mean to say,” said Patricia | slowly, “that you would actually help to betray him—your friend—your benefactor —no mattergwhat he has been to the rest of the world?” “Now,” said Goggles deprecatingly, * you are thinking hard things of me again, aren’t you? But the Whisperer is an awful burden for any one—and I’m quite too nervous to have him always around. It would be a most enormous relief to get rid of him.” She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. The shameless ingratitude and treachery of the fellow blinded her. “But how,” she said, when she could speak again, “ could I be sure that once on the ranch you would not sneak away the first time the Whisperer approached you?” ‘““That’s very simple,” said Goggles brightly, “Il give you my word not to leave until you say that I may go.”’ “And you won’t ride out and tell the Whisperer all of our plan? Bah! he would wring it out of you through fear!”’ awa fl ecomilelaoolks (COL