Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

328 any possible hope of future happiness she cherished. Charles showed him into the drawing- room at once. There was never any cere- mony of not being “ at home ” at Tavenor . Court if one happened to be at home. Letty was standing in the middle of the room when he entered, looking as though she had seen a whole graveyard full of ghosts. He came toward her quickly, scarcely waiting for Charles to withdraw before he said: “Oh, my poor child—so you've heard! But how could you—” ‘“ Heard? What?” she cried. “J don't know what you mean, Roger. If I look queer, it’s—it’s just the surprise of seeing you. I don’t quite know what I thought when the cab drove up, and I saw you get out. You see, I—I wasn’t expecting you.” “T understand. And you thought I’d come to do you some harm. Put that quite out of your mind, Letty. I’d have stopped your marriage if I could, for purely selfish reasons. At least, I think I might have done so. ButI’m nota ghoul. I’m ‘honestly glad you're happy, and I wouldn't hurt a golden hair of your head.” ‘Oh, Roger!”’ Her hands flew to her face, and tears of relief came. Fitzgerald had been the only ‘half-way decent person in her life before she met Derrick, and she now realized that she had done him a cruel injustice to think he might be blackguard enough to tum upon her. “Sit down, Letty; I want to talk to you. Are we safe from interruption here?”’ “What can it be! I don’t know; some- times Maud and nurse come down for tea. Julia might come back.” She glanced about uneasily. ‘‘ Perhaps it would be better in my sitting-room, only—’’ She disliked to add that if either Julia or Derrick found her entertaining a man, however old a friend he might be, in the comparative seclusion of her own sitting- room, it would be held against ther. ‘“Yes, I should like to be alone with you, quite free of possible interruption,” he said quicklv. ‘I won’t keep you long, Letty.” ‘tail of her skirt behind, as it were. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. He had roused her apprehensions to such an extent that she agreed without argu- ment, As they passed through the long cor- ridor Charles, who was sorting the after- noon post, ventured‘a question as regarded tea, and Letty asked Fitzgerald if he would like some sent in. ‘““No, no, I don’t want any, thanks,” he replied. «y must be off in about fifteen minutes if I’m to make that train.”’ ‘“ And now, Roger, what is it?” she asked as they faced each other in the dainty pink- and-white boudoir-like apartment. “Your father, Letty,” he replied. ““They’ve got him on a particularly atro- cious charge of blackmail, and I may men- tion that he’s as guilty as Satan. The gang has scattered. Rita got out, leaving the She managed to make the Channel boat about five minutes ahead of the detectives.” Letty sank down on the couch, and buried ther face in her hands. ‘Oh, what am I to do?”’ she cried. me, Roger—help me to think.” ‘ Well, dear child, I’ve been thinking hard and fast for you all day, and that’s why I’m here. I saw him in the police-court cell this morning and he threatens to make all sorts of trouble. He wants money, of course, and I’ve been able to satisfy him in that respect. But somehow he’d got wind of your husband’s great friendship for Ger- ald Stansbury—I fancy Derrick must have mentioned it to him as he did to me—ané now he says that unless you persuade Der-: rick to bring the whole weight and respecta-, bility of Tavenors to his aid, he’ll tell ‘hint that you were the girl who ruined Stans bury and drove the lad to suicide. More blackmail, Letty. The old beast’s incorrigi- ble. I really don’t think he realizes the} difference between right and wrong.” ‘So he knows, too!” Letty moan “‘ Oh, what I’ve suffered, Roger! But I sup< pose I deserve it. Neither did I know the difference between right and wrong, so ho can I blame my father? But, Roger, is there no way of stopping him? Derrick was to be asked to help him, wh could Tavenors do?”’ “Nothing. That’s whet Tagan’