Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

- 354 ly. ‘I'll see you safely out of this if it takes my life. You know how I’ve always felt about you. Oh, don’t misunderstand me; I’m not trying to make love to you— but, just the same, you know perfectly well — that I’d put a mortgage on my soul to help you. Er—Mary!” €¢ Yes?” “T’ve just found the way to get you out and make Steers tear away his whole head of hair with rage and unsatisfied curiosity, if you’re game to go through with it. How game are your” “Tl do anything in the world that will get me to that train and keep this secret!” Abruptly, Thomas lifted off his helmet and handed it to her; he also reached for the first of his retaining buckles, which was under the arm. | “Glide in behind those palms, Mary, and I'll hand you this hardware piece by piece, as I take it off. Get into it!” ‘“‘'The—the armor?” “Oh, it’s quite all right!” the disinteg- rating knight smiled happily, as he tugged off a shoulder piece. ‘‘ This stuff isn’t heavy, and it all goes on with half a dozen straps. to get it on, and after that I defy anybody in the world to tell who’s inside. without lifting the visor.” “ But—but you?” Mary faltered. “Oh, I’ve got on an old pair of black trousers and a soft white shirt,” Mr. Hen- ning chuckled. “ I'll ‘open the neck of that and tear off part of your mask to make it look different, and tie a handkerchief around my head -and pass for a ship- wrecked sailor or something. That part’ s easy. This is 4 warm night.” Elsewhere in the beautiful home an ex- pensive clock selected this moment to burst into chiming. The tones, long drawn out, ended in a single boom. “Yes! Yes, Tommy! Mary gasped, and pushed her way between two giant pots and into the pitch-black re- cess beyond. | After that came a strange little interval wherein Thomas, chuckling now and then, removed piece after piece of his raiment, while from behind the palms came agitated rustlings and occasionally queer little terri- —_ zed ty Google ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. It ‘ll never take you five minutes _ All right!” . snapped. fied gasps. One in particular was } than the fest, and caused Thomas in a sharp undertone: _ “What’s the trouble, Mary?” “ Nothing, only I can’t possibly get on over—nothing, Tom.”’ “ Having a struggle with that leg rig- ging? So did I. Can you manage it?” There was another Pause and further rustling. . “Tt’s on—now!” said Mary, with a queer little catch in her voice. “ Fine! How about the mail. shirt?” “Oh, I can just slip into it all—now!” said Mary. Another minute and the palms rustled again with Mary’s passing. Silently, not very steadily, an iron hand passed a large mask to Thomas Henning; and for a mo- ment the recent knight merely stood and ‘ vibrated pure delight. “Mary, this is the best thing I ever pulled,” he said modestly, ‘‘ and you’re the gamest little sport in the world!” “ Well, let’s not bother with the compli- ments now. Let’s just get out of the house, Tommy!” came shakily from within the helmet. ‘‘ Whatever are we going to do about my dress?” “Oh, it may be uncomfortable, with all that stuff outside, but—” “It isn’t, Tommy. It isn’t inside the armor,” Mary murmured, with some diff- culty. ‘It’s lying in a heap there behind the palms, and if any one ever finds it—” ‘They never will. I'll bribe one of the maids to get it before I go home to-night,” Thomas said briefly, for the subject was slightly embarrassing, as he tore the lower half from Mary’s mask and snapped it on his own head. -“ Can you walk all right? Wonderful! Let’s start. Only, Mary, for Heaven’s sake, remember one thing!” “¢ Why—what?”’ “Don’t speak! No matter what hap- pens, don’t forget yourself and speak to anybody, Mary. Yourre all excited, and your voice is pitched away up in G, and the second you talk the beans are spilled! Go ahead—alone!” ‘‘T daren’t do that!’ Mary gasped. “You must!” young Mr. Henning “Tl drift out behind you and