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.

762 Wharton has not seen you for more than a year.” King muttered an ejaculation under his breath and for a moment was silent. Then he said in a strained tone: “Yes, I lied to you. You forced me to, for you gave me an impossible duty to per- form, an unfair one. I didn’t know Lorrin personally, but from the face of the evi- dence which Wharton laid before me in conference at the time, I was convinced of Lorrin’s guilt, just as the jury later con- firmed my opinion. I acted as any honest man would have done, I urged that he be made to answer for it, and I am not ashamed of it. ‘““ Now you believe Lorrin to be innocent and for your sake I am giving him the bene- fit of the doubt. I’m willing to do any- thing I can to find evidence against some one else, but I am not a detective and this would tax the resources of the greatest of them. *‘ Great heavens, Mary, do you realize what you are doing? -You are making an issue of this between us—between husband and wife! I told you I’d seen Wharton because you suggested it, and I wanted to placate you till I’d made some real head- way, but I knew it would be the worst move possible. Lorrin himself couldn’t give me the slightest lead, I told you that. Tell me what to do and I'll do it.” “Did Hill go to you last night?” she asked bluntly. ‘“ Don’t-lie any more, Wesley; it won’t be of the least use.” “God knows I shan’t!” he declared fer- vently. ‘‘ Dick Hill did not come to me. I haven’t seen him in four or five months. If he has gone away I know nothing about it, nor why.” “T saw him yesterday in Mr. Wharton’s office. He looked like a man pursued by ghosts. Fear was written on his face. He watched me through the glass panel during my interview with Mr. Wharton. Last night Mrs. Lorrin called at his home and asked him what he knew of the forgery.” Mary was stating the facts in their order as coldly and methodically as a lawyer might have done. ‘‘ When she had gone he told his wife that he was, to use his expression, ‘being framed,’ and rushed from the house. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. He has not been seen since. His wife knows of no one to whom he could have gone but his friend ‘ Mr. Coyle.’ Wesley, are you hiding him now because of his help in that unlawful bank account?” ‘ Before heaven, no!” he exclaimed. ‘‘Are you sure of what you have told me? Dick is weak, irresponsible, but not bad. He hasn’t any criminal tendencies, any dishonest ones, and if he had—vwell, I imagine that forgery must take a certain amount of skill, and nerve, and cleverness. Dick Hill doesn’t possess any of these things. I'll never be- lieve he is guilty.” “Then why did he run away?” “‘ Because he was scared, I suppose—if he has actually run away. He’s settled down, got a fine little family and naturally doesn’t want to be dragged into a sordid mess like this. Why Mrs. Lorrin should have gone to him, of all the other office employees, I can’t understand. Who on earth put such an idea into her head?” Mary did not reply, and after a glance at her immovable face, King shrugged. “ Well, I can’t say anything more, Mary. i’ve told you everything I know, every- You must believe it or not, as you you please.” He made a movement as though to start the engine again, but Mary stopped him. “ Hill ran away because, if he did not commit the forgery himself, he knows who did and is afraid to speak. If he didn’t go to you last night, find him and bring him tome. You offered just now to do any- thing I ask; bring Richard Hill to me.”’ “Mary,” King pleaded, ‘if his wife doesn’t know where he is and the office can give no information, how can you expect me to find him? Don’t you see how utterly unreasonable, unfair, you are, my dear? I’ve known nothing of his friends, his habits, since he married. I can’t go to his wife as ‘ Coyle’ and offer my assistance, but if you will take a check to her from me— you’ve been in touch with her, of course— and tell her to make whatever use of it she pleases in order to locate her husband?” Mary shook her head. “ All the money she needs is at her dis- posal, Wesley. Her husband went to you before when in trouble; why not now?” oO EoOmichboo <S (S@)