Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

BEWARE OF out of here!’ Mary gasped. come back one second too soon. He’s al- most sure who I am—almost, but not quite. He swears hel mever let me out of here until ke’s looked under my mask, and he was just going to attempt it when you came!”’ “He was! And we'll have to hurry, too. It’s long past nine, now, and I mustn’t start down for the train one second later than ten—and I have to dress before I start!”’ Mary cried feverishly. ‘“ You know that I can’t miss that train!” . “Of course not!” the knight agreed soothingly. ‘‘ And just what train?” ‘““Why, the ten twenty-two, of course. What—what is it, Peter? Have you lost your memory, or are you trying to play some wretched joke on me? Why do you act like that?” “Possibly because I’m not Peter,” gested the knight. “ My name happens to be Henning.” The old-fashioned gitl s seemed to reel a trifle, but as quickly she recovered herself and clasped his mailed arm frantically. “ All right! Then Il have to explain, and you'll have to help me. Peter made me come to this beastly affair, Tommy; his sister helped me dress, over in Peter’s flat, and jthat’s where my clothes are now. ' He was going to take me down to the train to meet Billy, of course, and—”’ “Wait a minute’ the knight said hoarsely, apparently unable to drag his gaze from the tiny pink hand upon his arm. “You're Mary?” “Qfeourse! And Horace will tell Billy that. I was here, and Billy ‘ll be furious, because I promised not to do anything like this! And if Horace ever sees me going into that apartment house over: there—and he will see me!—he’ll tell Billy that, too, and Billy ‘ll think—oh, I don’t know what he'll think! “But I know what hel do! He'll di- vorce me, Tommy! He will, because—”’ “ Hush!” said the knight. ‘“‘ You want to get out of here in a hury, without Steers Seeing where you go, is 5 A is that it?” Oogle “Vou didn’t ' sug ; THE BRIDE. 353 “Oh, in such a_ desperate nuny Tommy!” “Well, Mary, you couldn’t have put yourself in better hands!” said Thomas, and remembering the violence of his recent trouble with Miss Hayes, the way in which he had recovered his spirits was no less than wonderful. ‘I’m the fastest thinker in town, my child; watch me werk! “ Steers still has his eye on us? Ah, yes, so he has, and he’s going to keep close, and I can’t knock him senseless without making a lot of fuss.” “Tom, dog’t’ waste time now talking nonsense!” Mary cried bitterly. “Tm not! chatter which conceals some tremendous mental processes} How about back doors here?, He can follow us, can’t he? And we couldn’t get across the street without passing the front of the house, and he’d probably rush out and follow‘us. Quite SO. “We'll have to think up somethimg neat and original, then. Just keep on walking along the wall like this, Mary. The fat shepherdess had nailed Horace for a min- ute, and he’s nearly wild. Ah, she’s going * to keep him for a little while, too, and she has managed to turn his gaze toward her and—hah! That’s the stuff! In there, Mary! Quick!” He gave a push,-and Mary passed sud- denly through an open doorway, into one of the half-dozen smaller rooms that let into the mighty Thorndyke ballroom. “Do you know the geography of this house?” Thomas asked. ‘‘ Well, I do! Right through that door in the corner, Mary. There ought to be a passage; here it is, too. Never mind fhe dark. Keep going! > ‘“There! Do you know where we are now? Well, we’re in the dinky little con- servatory where old man Thorndyke grows his private varieties of palm, and the rea- son there’s no light is that he doesn’t want This is just a flow of airy~ guests dropping in and smashing them!” Personally, as his helmet turned from side to side, he seemed to have subsided quite ‘contentedly. “Yes, but how—” the bride began. e “Be calmp Mary,” the knight said odd- Original fro TATE Lt ING (0, a [DOO S C@ THE OHIO