Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

THE DANCING DOLL. Guy extended his hand. “ It’s topping, old boy! We'll make that fellow squirm! If your surgeon can only keep him alive, we'll both even up our old scores.’ Meanwhile, in a shabby bedroom that had once been used by a servant, George lay, gasping feebly. Only his painful breathing told that he was alive, for his face was deathly pale and he had not re- covered consciousness. The doctor shook his head despairingly more than once during that day, while he wrestled for the life of George Marcanda. Time and again he thought that the fight was lost, but every time the stubborn vi- tality of the patient pulled him through. Dr. Ribiera was a devout man, a good Gatholic, and a believer in miracles. His scientific training had not shaken his faith in divine intervention. When he saw the amulet that Tina had hung about George’s neck he wondered whether this young man’s life was not spared by some power beyond the realm of science. ‘By rights the bullet should have killed him,” he murmured. ‘“ Perhaps some wom- an who loves him is praying for him, and God is listening to her prayers.” And the good doctor made the sign of the cross. CHAPTER XXIV. THE WORKING OF THE PLAN. OR weeks, while George wrestled with death, he was kept out of sight in Valdez’s house. Only Dr. Ribiera was permitted to see him and that good man was given no hint of the revenge that Pedro Valdez was planning against his patient. On the contrary, when the doctor in- formed Valdez that George was recovering more slowly because he worried at getting no news from his friends, the politician in- vented some messages from Gian’ Bori, from Tina and even from Margot. They were reassuring messages that the sick man was too feeble to analyze very carefully. Under their false hope he be- gan to gain so that in answer to Valdez’s question the doctor announced that George would be able to travel soon. . 2 have no more hate for that yours = ,’ Valdez assured the doctor with an <2 oily smile. ‘ For though my arm still gives me great pain—yes, even though you tell : me that it will always be weak and stiffi— yet I do not hate him!” me “You are a good Christian, Sefior Val- dez,”’ and the surgeon made the sign of the cross. “Our Lord teaches us to forgive our enemies.” Valdez smiled at the doctor’s simplicity and continued: ‘“ It is my plan to take the young man to one of my estates. The change of air, the quiet life on a coffee plantation will do him good.” “An excellent idea!” agreed the gone “And you shall go along, my worthy friend. You will be paid well for your time and your only duty will be to see that the young man is completely restored.” Valdez dismissed the surgeon with a lordly ges- ture and turned to his correspondence. Guy Dalby had reported from New York and his plans seemed to be working out as he desired. still there was a certain vagueness about Dalby’s letter. Some of the sentences were so rambling that the politician wondered whether the man who wrote that letter had been quite sober. But he gathered that there was a re- ward offered for George Marcanda and that when the time was ripe Guy Dalby would claim it. Meanwhile, a few hundred dollars would be welcome. Of Margot, little was said in the letter. It seemed that Harbison had taken her out of the city, probably to some place where she could rehearse for the act that was to startle Broadway. Dalby had not seen her. Valdez smiled as he thought of the little surprise he had for both Guy and Margot. And most of all, for George. This was his surprise: The marriage that had been made the pretext for a duel instead of summary jail proceedings was no more than a fraud. Val- dez had decided to search the records right after George’s departure and then had fol- lowed a long interview and a very painful one for the official who performed the cere- mony That tricky old Bsiicooks com