Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

378 ~ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. dressed with smug respectability. --imita- tion! The whole Tangle was a shell, a pretense that crumbled to dust when she thought of the Tiger, and those carefully fitted clothes. She decided to wait until) five in the after- noon, for that was the hour at which such a man as William Lodge would probably get to his house from his office, she thought. That interim was the longest suspense she had ever passed through, and she was com- paratively at ease when she finally stepped out onto the street, an ease which lasted, indeed, until she came, some half-hour later, in front of the address on the park. She crossed the street to consider the big brown front from a distance. ‘Nothing fancy,” said Mary Dover to herself. *‘ Just the straight stuff, and prob- ably full of junk worth a thousand dollars a square inch. That’s the sort of people he’d have; thoroughbred, hard-hitters. I’d rather that there were a little scroll stuff along the comice; if they were boobs I could talk to them easy. But these plain fifty-million-dollar frd¥ts----” She shrugged her shoulders, tovk a long breath, and marched straight across the street with a face as determined as that of one about to dive into a December lake. ? CHAPTER XXVII. BARRIERS FALL, Hk door was opened to her by a som- ber-faced man with an important stomach and impressive bald head; his eyes looked just six inches above her head. ‘“T want to see Mr, William Lodge,” said Mary, eying ‘this guardian of the door with some concern. His glance Jowered by jerks to her hat, where his eyes widened, to her face, where they Jingered, to her coat, to her skirt, to her shoes, where they dwelt longest of all. Then he looked her straight in the face. ‘You have a letter, perhaps?” suggested he. ‘“T have not,” said Mary, at ease. ‘“‘ Ah, yes,” nodded the guardian. ‘‘ Your name, please, madam?” ‘You can leave that out,” she said. ‘‘ He iloesn’t know my name. Tell him that a lady wants to see him.”’ ** H-m!” he remarked, and looked at her shoes again, judicially. ‘‘Shined yesterday,” she advised him calmly. And she advanced one foot to make his inspection easier. ‘“H-m!” repeated he. ‘7 think Mr. Lodge is not in.” “ Thoughts,” said Mary Dover, ‘ come hard with you, don’t they?” bb Eh?” ‘Brush along, friend. The hospitals are full of quick thinkers like you. ‘Trot away and tell Mr. Lodge I’m waiting for him.” He seemed: to hesitate, not quite sure whether or not he had been insulted. “Wait here,” he said stiffly, and began ‘to close the door, but its motion was neat- lv blocked by the foot of Mary Dover, and when he tumed around in surprise he found ther standing beside him. ‘Never keep them standing while they wait,” she informed him. ‘It spoils busi- ness Im no time.” ‘“ Ma’am,” he said coldly, but ‘his fingers were twitching at his side, ‘‘ may I inquire again if you have sufficient means of intro- duction to Mr. Lodge?” ‘“T have,” said Mary, “a tongue, and I'll introduce myself.” He shook his head decidedly. “It is never done, you know.” “Noe?” ‘ But if you will go to the side entrance T will see if Mr. Lodge’s secretary—” ‘Don’t bother. | can’t waste my time. VU find him.” ‘One minute---” * Easy, easy!” said Mary, and the hand -he had = stretched toward her shoulder drew back. ‘‘ That's better.” Aud while he stil] gasped she walked out. of the hall into a room that unrolled itself before her as vast as a street. The ceiling plunged up a dizzy distance, making the big chairs and the heavy table look ;too small lor use, and even as she entered a tall, gray man walked into the room from the opposite side. ‘“ Hello!” called Mary Dover. He stopped and turned, tower} hex, YN Oh) CO