Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

774 ered around the judge, to guard him against possible assault while others hurried the prisoners away, in fear of an attempt at rescue. Without stopping for his hat or his papers, Dunning vanished by way of a side door, which he locked after him. Phelim O’Rourke, foremost among those who in- vaded the space sacred to the court proper, grasped Jack by an arm and whirled him about. “ Get out av this!” he whispered, hoarse- ““ Beat it—while the goin’s good!” The advice was excellent, as Jack readily admitted to himself. But even had he not admitted this fact, he would have followed the advice; surrounded, as he found himself to be, by a compact phalanx of Phelim’s henchmen, he could not have done other- wise. In some manner that he never quite understood, he found himself sitting beside Phelim, in the latter’s flame-colored road- ster. “ Home,” he said, with a groan, in re- sponse to his companion’s questioning look. * I’ve got to go home. I’ve got to tell ’em —Aunt Sophronia, and Edith, and Peg— what has happened. I’d rather go to the chair myself—but I must! There’s no way out of it.” With an instinctive delicacy that one might perhaps not have expected from him, Phelim did not answer. It was not until he stopped at the Herondene door that Phelim spoke. “ Don’t you iver think, Masther Jack— an’ don’t you let Miss Sophrony think— that anny harrm will come to thim two, down there in the jail,” said he, earnestly. “ Sinator Reynolds will see to thot. But if he shud fail—or if thim blagyards thry for to slip somethin’ over—well, there’s men enough—my men, an’ Miss Sophrony’s men from out there in the Township, an’ half the city besoides—what will take that old prison aparrt—an’ the judge an’ the dis- thrict attorney an’ the police also—befoor the militia cud get together or foire a shot— which in anny case they wudden’t do. Tell her so.” By way of reply, Jack extended his hand, which was gripped for an instant in Phel- im’s huge paw and then let go as the road- ster flashed around the oval and back down ly. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. the drive. With a heart heavier than it ever had been before, Jack entered the house. If he most dreaded the breaking of his frightful news to the family, he had at least reason to congratulate himself in this re- spect, for the news had preceded him. Dr. Gray had been present when the sentence was spoken, and before the subsequent dem- onstration began, he hastened to the Heron- dene place, fearful of what the effect of that news might be. He had reason for that fear. Even before he had told it Aunt Sophronia, who had come to meet him, saw it in his face, and for the first time in her life had fainted dead away. Now, as Jack entered, he came down the stairs, resonantly blowing his nose and look- ing savagely cross, which was his manner of revealing that he was deeply moved. “‘She’s conscious,” said Dr. Gray. “If it was any one else in the world, I should say that she was in for a real nervous break- down, after which, with rest and proper care, she—with that wiry strength of hers —would come up all smiling. As it is, I honestly fear that she’s going to die, and from nothing in the world but a case of sheer, damned, ingrowing New England conscience, by Jove!” “Where is she now?” asked Jack, anxi- ously. “In bed, of course. In her room. The two girls are with her. She wants to see you. Go on up—and tell her something cheerful, if there’s anything of the sort to tell. I'll be up there to chase you out before you’ve been there too long. I’ve got to telephone, now.” The doctor bustled into the library, and with his heart heavier, if possible, even than it had been before, Jack went upstairs. The foot of Aunt Sophronia’s huge old- four-poster bed stood toward the open door of her room. In the prairie-like surface of its coverings Aunt Sophronia’s tiny form made scarcely a perceptible bulge. Her wizened, bright little face, wofully drawn and haggard now, seemed no larger, as it lay on that huge pillow, than that of a baby. Edith and Peggy stood at her bedside, their faces full of anxiety. Doubtless act- COMMICLOOOkKS (C@