Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

598 “is not to let them think she tried to kill herself. Rather let them think she just broke down at the idea that any one sus- pected Aer—and you took her away to pro- tect her from the annoyance and so on. You know they’re going to arrest her and put her in jail if you leave her here, and because she’s rich and well connected the authorities won’t dare let her out on bail. Public would howl if they did, and say they were showing favoritism and getting paid well for it. Rich people nowadays are apt to get a harder deal from the law than poor ones. I’d do that if I were you! Id grab her and beat it—and hide her away so that no one can find her. Say you'll produce her at the proper time, if you like. But keep her safe from annoyance and publicity as long as you can—keep her comfortable. A girl like that could never stand the Tombs and come out the way she went in. She’s too delicate! It ’d kill her!” “But how could I get her out?” he asked, wetting his dry lips. The risk—the madness of the scheme appealed to him. And he wanted of all things to spare Kath- erine, too, if he could. “Take her out the way we got out— back of that mirror,” said Fielding. “ I'll help, if you like. Glad to! Feel I owe you something anyway for that jab in the leg i gave you. But that was for Joan. And i’m just as strong for Joan as you are for Katherine Kendall. Well, what do you say?” “If she comes around,” said Garry im- pulsively, “I say yes—and thank you!” They shook hands; and Garry felt no twinge of conscience because he was de- liberately planning to circumvent the law! Love makes rascals of us all! ee ee =e CHAPTER XXXII. DAWN BEGINS TO BREAK. EANWHILE, in the little office Vi where Katherine lay unconscious, Dr. Welland watched with set jaw and steady, resolute eyes. Often a man’s opportunity comes and goes before he has recognized or grasped it; but Dr. Welland knew that this was his big chance! If he . ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. could only bring the girl through! It meant a few of the luxuries of life for his wife and children—a few hours of ease for himself—the freedom to develop his es- pecial talents. If he could only bring her through! He had given a hypodermic to stimulate the heart action as soon as Garry had re- turned with his emergency kit. And he was waiting for the stimulant to take effect, his hand on her pulse, his sharp eyes never leaving her face. The cloak-room maid studied him curi- ously. To her the drama of the affair was all that mattered. She managed to get on quite nicely with her wages and tips, as her wants were simple, and she was happy be- cause she had no ambition, save to find out as much as she could about everybody’s affairs. She couldn’t imagine why Dr. Welland was so worried about Katherine’s condition, and so anxious to bring her back to consciousness. For her part, she thought that any one that wanted to die had a per- fect right to do so! Certainly it was no- body’s business! And having heard what a fast lot the rich are, anyway, she ven- tured to think that Miss Kendall probably had good and sufficient reasons for wanting to chuck everything. However, she did whatever Dr. Welland told her, willingly enough. To have crossed him might have been to earn her dismissal from the room, and she was delighted to be on the spot where things were happening. She was just a starved creature, whose monotonous existence bred in her an abnormal interest in other people’s lives. So she, too, watched Katherine’s white face, and waited for her to come to and speak her mind—or for her to die and Garry to come and be told. But neither of these dramatic happenings occurred as she might have wished. Kath- erine was still lying motionless when Garry returned; but she was not dead. Her bosom, underneath the blue-green folds of chiffon, rose and fell evenly as she breathed, and in her white throat an artery could be seen throbbing as her heart beat. She was not dead, but very, very near it—or so he thought as he came in quietly and stood looking down at her with misty eyes. His wild plans—formed under the influ- Gomichbookszcom