Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

392 Cecilie Harvey, and capture: all hands found on the premises. But that would not have been playing quite fair with the girl, He was not sure as yet that a trap was being set for him, and, until he knew, he had no right to put the police on her track. Better to face alone whatever peri! might await him at the other end of his trip than to break faith with her! It was 3 P.M. when he alighted from the train at Harrisburg anc stepped into a real-estate broker’s office in the vicinity of the railway station. “T see from the sign in your window that you deal in suburban property,” he Ttemarked to the broker. ‘‘ Do you hap- pen to know anything about the Fairview section?” ‘There isn’t much about it that I don’t know, sir,” the real-estate man replied ca- gerly, scenting a prospective customer. “ Fairview property is our specialty. At the present moment we have some choice lots which we are offering at prices which—-”’ ‘“ Are you acquainted with a man named Eastment, who lives out that way?’ his visitor interrupted. ‘‘ Gordon I[astment, I believe the name is.”’ “Certainly I know him,” the broker declared somewhat disappointedly. “ He runs a chicken farm. His place is ’way out on the North Lincoln Road. I sold him the property myself, six years ago.” He volunteered the additional informa- tion that the house was the last bit of developed property one encountered on the North Lincoln Road, and that it could be further identified by its green, shingled roof. Mr. Eastment, he said, lived there with his wife and three grown daughters. The family bore an excellent reputation in the neighborhood, and the chicken farm was doing a prosperous business. Greatly reassured, and somewhat puz- zlied by these details, Hemment rode out to Fairview in a street-car which took him to a point within a mile of his destination. He covered the-rest of the distance on foot, and, as he came in sight of the farm and observed its trim, well-kept appearance, he was almost ready to laugh at his recent misgivings. blond-haired, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Surely there could be nothing sinister about a place as respectable-looking and attractive as this! Nevertheless, he took the precaution of keeping his hand on the automatic in his pocket as he approached the house with the bright-green roof. After all, one never could tell! If Mr. Alton Lestrade and his con{réres wished to lure him into an am- buscade, they could hardly have selected a more secluded spot for their purpose. Not another habitation within sight. Not a single person, apparently, within range of his voice, except the inmates of the house. The long stretch of dusty, country road was as barren of vehicles and pedestrians as if it had been part of the Sahara. Even on the farm itself there was no sign of a human being. There was something almost ‘uncanny about the depressing stillness of the place. And then suddenly he saw the green door of the farmhouse open, and a slim, blue-eyed young woman emerge therefrom and come slowly down the gravel path toward the road. His pulses leaped as his eyes hungrily took in that familiar figure. The young woman was Cecilie Harvey, and she was alone. se CHAPTER XXVII. NOT SATISFACTORY. ECILIE was about to mail a letter. C She was submitting it to a last read- ing before she imserted it in the stamped and accressed envelope she held in her other hand. Her eyes were glued on the written page as she walked slowly along the gravel pathway. That was why she did not notice Hemment until she had reached the rural free delivery box clamped to a telephone pole in front of the East- ment property. A gasp, a half exclamation escaped her as she looked up suddenly and saw him standing before her. “You!” she cried. you manage to find me?”’ ‘That wasn’t very difficult—with the j clue your’ long-distance call gave.me,” the 4 ‘“What-—-how did :