Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 159: what you’re looking at

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

CIRCUMSTANCES. two months ago came success—and I was ready to go home. It was the Sunday after that first wonderful week. “Thanks to the woman in the Middle West who shot her lover, my mother’s happiness was complete. She never could . forgive my going on the stage, but she was lonely, and she loved me. I came every week, as Elsie Spalding, not Peggy Ar- cher.’’ ‘““Why did you ohange your name?” asked Brent. . ‘“* Because—” The girl checked herself. ‘Mother was so bitterly opposed to the stage,” she explained. ‘I don’t suppose that until they saw it in the paper the ‘ neighbors ever suspected I was Peggy _ Archer.” The gtrl was silent. Brent frowned at the floor. The pause became awkward. “Did I tell you,” asked Brent, “ that that they are holding a man for the murder of your mother?” The girl swayed slightly, then stiffened. wy tramp,” said Brent, scowling at the carpet—“ a man named Madden, who has been in the city jail since the night your mother died—”’ . A sudden movement made him look around. The girl had thrown herself down on the chatse-longue, quivering with an emotion that was the more terrible because it was mute. Brent took hold of her shoulders. As he lifted the girl her head jerked back as if from the violent tremors that were shak- ing her body. Then from the straining throat came a sob of utter agony, aifd the storm of hysteria broke. It brought Nancy to the room, and Brent, the man of medi- cine, withdrew. For this was a crisis in which a woman was the better physician. CHAPTER XII. PENDLETON’S RUSE. T was nearly an hour later that Nancy Brent found Phil in his study and told him that Peggy wanted to see him. “She wants to talk to you, Phil,” said his sister, “ but perhaps it would be better 441 “‘ Lock the door,” said the girl tensely, as he entered the room. y He obeyed. Peggy was propped up on the chaise- longue, the fresh white pillows from the bed having been added to those already there. Brent sat at her feet. < ‘“Do you remember what you said to me, Phil?” was her breathless question. “About the murder charge?” “No,” said Peggy quickly. “* Something I asked you not to say again.” “That I—” Brent was too astonished to finish. “Ves, that’s it!” she said. “Do you love me, Phil?” “Love you?” he cried. “Why, I—” He tried to take her in his arms, but she held him off. : ~“No. You mustn’t,” she gasped. “ It’s all too hopeless. But you do love me!”’ “More than anything in all the world,” he whispered. _ “Would you do whatever I wanted you tor” she pleaded. “ Blindly? Without asking questions?”’ | Brent drew back. “ Peggy,” he asked, “are you being quite fair with me?” “T don’t know whether I’m being fair or not,” she said desperately; “but I do know that I love you, Phil, and that I need you, oh, so very much!” “And yet you don’t know whether you are playing fair?” Brent demanded incred- ulously. ““'‘We—none of us can know very much, can we?” Peggy asked. ‘“ What we think we're doing for the best may turn out to be the very thing we shouldn’t have done. Life isn’t lived by a book or a rule of logic: it all depends on circumstances.” Neither of them spoke for the next few moments. “ Can’t you tell me everything?” begged | Brent. The girl shook her head. There was a moment of torture for Brent, then he asked: “ What do you want me to do?” “That is your promise?” He nodded. if she didn’t. She’s fearfully upset.” “T don’t even know that this is true,” oo ‘al z : : ; ~ 7 ee da AK afi Pa = TP Digitized by Google THE OHIO STATE UNS OLE c OO SoCO