Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

MOORS END. set her down in the hall outside, but I - could not do it at once for the fact that her hands were clutched in my hair. There was nothing in the least loving about the grasp; nothing but an intense ~ determination to remove my hair together with most of my scalp; and for a moment ' the fury of the attach was such that I was practically helpless, while she clawed and tore to her heart’s content. Then, I man- aged to secure first one small, vengeful hand and then the other, and held them tight in one of mine. “You little vixen!” I said. you.” I bent my head and kissed the small, angry face glaring up at me. - The effect was more startling than I had expected; for a moment, she still glared up at me with a look of intense hate, then all expression vanished from her face, leaving it stony. “You'll be sorry for this,” she said in a quiet voice. “ Tl stop I was sorry-already. I put her down gently, and for a moment we stood there, in the dimly lit hall, looking at each other in silence. “TI beg your pardon,” I said at last, gruffly, for I was angry at myself and I hadn’t forgiven her by any means. My scalp still tingled from the attack upon it, but it was nothing compared to the smart of knowing I had taken advantage of her. “Tt wasn’t your fault,” answered Shir- ley in a colorless voice. ‘Since I didn’t behave like a lady, you had every excuse for not acting like a gentleman.” ‘This hardly put me at my ease. I would have felt more comfortable if she had scolded, sworn, or clawed me again, and I didn’t quite like this calm acceptance of the affair. It wasn’t like what I knew of Shirley; red-headed people dor’t usually stop when they are once started. If she had wanted to embarrass me, she succeeded admirably. ** Please don’t say that, Shirley,” I blurted out. ‘“ You had every right to fight back and it wasn’t because I didn’t respect you that I kissed you.” Shirley smiled. It was a mere flash, and her face instantly resumed its cold _ left the note there? 413 look—but it was more encouraging, at least. “Really? Why then?” ‘‘ Because I wanted to—I couldn’t help it.” I stopped, expecting another outburst of anger, but, instead, she only looked at me in a dazed way, like a child that has been struck. Then, as though she were a child, indeed, her lip began to tremble, and the tears welled up into her eyes. I hate to gee any .woman cry, but to have Shirley, my brave little comrade and antagonist, give way like this, was indes- cribably touching. I made a quick step forward, and took her forlorn little figure in my arms. ; “Shirley, little girl! me!” I begeed. Wermen are the strangest of created things. Sne hadn’t resented my kissing her half so much as I expected; now when I was, metaphorically, acting the doormat, she turned on me fiercely and wrenched herself away. ‘Don’t touch me!” she cried in a half- choked voice, and ran into her room, leav- ing me to stare after her and swear that I never would apologize to any girl again, no matter what I had done! Piease iorgive CHAPTER XIX. THE THIRD NIGHT. WALKED moodily back into the room and sat down. The man still lay on his back, breathing stertorously, and there was nothing more that could be done for him. I tried to keep my mind fixed on the coming night, but my thoughts ob- stinately insisted on going over and over again my interview with Shirley. In spite of my recent discovery, I couldn’t believe that she had anything to do with her father’s being here; although, the affair of the warning note showed that, at least she had communication with him— even more, knowledge of an impending at- tack on the safe, else why would she have There. was, as cer- tainly, some understanding between her and the man now lying on the bed before me, Original fron EORMCLOOO = SS CO - OHIO STATE UN