Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

— THE THREE HOSTAGES, And then he said what I had been waiting for. ‘I told you wéeks ago that I wanted ‘you to take up your quarters with me. Well, I repeat the offer and will take no refusal.” “Tt is most awfully kind of you,” I stammered. “ But wouldn’t I be in the way?” “Not in the least. You see the place— it’s as large as a barracks. I'll be back from Shropshire by Friday, and I expect you to move in here on Friday evening. We might dine together.” I was content, for it gave me a day or two to look about me. Medina went off that afternoon, and I spent a restless eve- ning. I wanted to be with Mary, but it seemed to me that the less I saw of her the better. She was going her own way, and if I showed myself in her neighborhood it might ruin all. Next day was no better; I actually longed for Medina to return so that I might feel I was doing something, for there was nothing I could turn my hand to, and when I was idle the thought of David Warcliff was ever present to torment me. I went out to Hampton Court and had a long row on the river; then I dined at the club and sat in the little back smoking room, avoiding any one I knew, and trying to read a book of travels in Arabia. I fell asleep in my chair, and, waking about half past eleven, was staggering off to bed, when a servant came to tell me I was wanted on the telephone. It was Mary; she was speaking from Great Charles Street, and her voice was sharp with alarm. ‘“There’s been an awful mishap, Dick,” she said breathlessly. ‘‘ Are you alone? You’re sure there’s no one there. Archie Roylance has made a dreadful mess of things. He came to that dancing place to- night, and Adela Victor was there, and Odell with her. He had seen her before, you know, and apparently was much at- tracted. No! He didn’t recognize me, for when I saw him I kept out of range. But of course he recognized the Marquis. “He danced with Adela, and I suppose he talked nonsense to her — anyhow he made himself conspicuous. The result was that Odell proposed to take her away—I suppose he was suspicious of anybody of 727 Archie’s world—and, well, there was a row. The place was very empty—only about a dozen, and mostly a rather bad lot. Archie asked what right he had to carry off the girl, and lost his temper, and the manager was called in—the man with the black beard. He backed up Odell, and then Archie did a very silly thing. He said he was Sir Archibald Roylance, and wasn’t go- ing to be dictated to by any dance hall keeper, and, worse, he said his friend was the Marquis de la Tour du Pin, and that between them they would burst up this show, and that he wasn’t going to have a poor girl ordered about by a third-rate bully. I don’t know what happened after- ward. The women were hustled out, and I had to go with the rest. But Dick, it’s bad trouble. I’m not afraid so much for Archie, though he has probably got a maul- ing, but the marquis—they’re sure to know who he is, and all about him, and remem- ber his connection with Adela. They’re al- most certain to make sure in some horrible way that he can’t endanger them again.” “Lord,” I groaned, “ what a catastro- phe! And what on earth can I do? I daren’t take any part!” “No,” came a hesitating voice. “TI sup- pose not. But you can warn the marquis if nothing has happened to him already.” “Precious poor chance. These fellows don’t waste time. Go to bed and sleep, my dear. I'll do my best.” My best at that time of night was pretty feeble. I rang up Victor, and found, as I expected, that Turpin had not returned. Then I rang up Archie’s house in Grosve- nor Street and got the same answer about him. It was no good my going off to the back streets of Marylebone, so I went to bed and spent a wretched night. Very early next morning I was in Gros- venor Street, and there I had news. Archie’s man had just had a telephone mes- sage from a hospital to say that his mas- ter had had an accident, and would he bring clothes. He packed a bag, and he and I drove there at once, and found the miserable Archie in bed, the victim of- ficially of a motor accident. He did not seem to be very bad, but it was a rueful face, much battered about the eyes and oO CORNICLOOKS seo 4 i ak shay?