Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 170: what you’re looking at

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

452 who had passed under the light on his way to the cottage where the little eld lady was At this point Brent left the court-room. Soon after that the court recessed, with the summing up and charge to the jury set for the afternooy, session. CHAPTER XVII. LOST—-AND FOUND. HE confusion in Philip Brent’s mind had to some extent abated. Later he discovered that hewas mistaken, that the greatest ordeal was still ahead, but at the time he believed he had decided on the course to be followed. This man Madden was innocent. Even the vague knowledge that Brent had would avert the tragedy that threatened. If Peggy Archer told what she knew they could never convict Madden. Peggy must tell. Brent had: at first considered revealing immediately the fact that the girl was con- cealing circumstances that should be snown. But this idea was discarded. “Whatever Peggy Archer’s secret might be, Brent realized that it had a tremendous hold on her. He was sure she kept it un- willingly. His purpose.now was to make a supreme effort to persuade her to tell all that she knew. To that end, he was on his way home. There he discovered a stag- gering development. Mammy met him at the door with the news that ‘“‘ Miss Peggy ” was gone. “Gone!” echoed Brent. ‘“ What do you mean by that?” | “That she’s done gone off with all her clothes,” explained the old colored woman, ‘¢ and she tell me: ‘ Good-by, Mammy,’ and say: ‘ Give Mister Phil this note.’ ” Brent found himself reading a brief mes- sage from a single folded sheet of writing paper that the unaddressed envelope held. There was no salutation and no signa- ture. It said simply: I’ve been very weak and selfish and blind. Try to forgive me. - Not a word as to where she went or why. Digitized by Go ogle ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. But what difference could “ why” and “where”? make. The important thing was that she kad gone: that with Madden facing certain death the one person whe could save him had filed. And Brent was honest enough to see that even now it was not of Madden alone he thought. For she had gone, too, from him, Philip Brent. Now, as never before, Brent realized how much she meant to him, how hopelessly he was in love with those wistful blue eyes. And she was gone! “ Weak—-selfish—blind,” repeated Brent. She was all of that, and more. She had lied, lied every minute she had kept silent while Madden was being tried for a murder he did not do. And by the lie, that lying silence, she was taking Madden’s life just as surely and a thousand times more cruelly than if he had shot him. And. what was Brent’s share in it! If he had spoken before, the girl would have had ‘to tell what she knew. Now it was too late. She was gone. sf The case against Madden had been con- clusive. Brent’s belated report might. delay the condemning of the man, and again it might not. For a certainty it would dis- credit Brent. To tell the little that he knew, admitting that he knew it before Madden went to _trial, would simultaneously «destroy the character of the woman he loved and bring dishonor to himself. But always there was the dim consciousness of Madden, ‘iseless as a man could be—but i1mmocent. Brent had always been impulsive—not _ now. He had always been emotional—but not now. He had always thought of right as right, and wrong as wrong; of honor as_. the most sacred thing in life. Now Brent realized that he had first compromised when he had agreed to guard the girl’s secret. If he could remake the decision, would it be different? Brent wondered. His honor asagentleman? Hisloveasaman? But he must think! This thing would ruin ‘him, More than that, it would ruin Peggy Archer. Was Madden worth it. Was Brent to sacrifice himself and the woman he loved for a man _Who meant nothing to either of them, meant nothing to any one, perhaps, Mad- Or pee frc AO an) a) a@ IWoOOKS.CcCOmM