Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 146 No. 4 — page 155: what you’re looking at

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

A NEW GIRL IN TOWN, Diantha swallowed her laughter. “ Let me hear that dear little bell ring again.” He sullenly obeyed her. The watch struck three times and stopped. Three o'clock! Diantha’s breast was flooded with relief, She could go now. He sought to pick up the tender note just where it had been dropped. The arm again. ‘“Diantha, your lips! 4 She stood up. “ I’ve got to go now.” He jumped up, scowling at her. He did not think she meant it. But she walked coolly to the door and opened it. He was after her with a bound, but by that time she was outside. There were others in the purple room, and he could make no demon- stration there. Diantha walked coolly across the room and down the corridor, with the scowling Sutliffe at her shoulder, When she disappeared into the ladies’ dressing room he was obliged to wait outside the door. Diana asked Myra’s maid for her coat. “Ts there another way out of this room?” she inquired. This maid was not the smiling Fanny, but an experienced Gallic damsel, who took life as it came. “ Oui, mademoiselle, through the bathroom and down the service passage to the maids’ rooms.”’ “ And can I get out of the building with- out being seen?” “Certainement! The service elevator. If mademoiselle will condescend—” The transfer of a bill from Diantha to Lizette facilitated the former’s escape. Sutliffe was still waiting outside the other door. Diantha found the colonel already at home. “ The letters?” she asked eagerly. “ Have we got them?” He shrugged good-humoredly. plete fizzle, my dear!” “What hap- “Qh-h!” said Diantha. pened?” __ “ Have you ever been in a safety deposit vault?” She shook her head. “Well, it’s lined all around with hun- dreds of little steel safes. Each of these tri ite hi ers ie en “ A com- and the individual kay wh h holds. Inside the safe is a. wei to which the customer holds tk yk Weil, when the outer safe was . ked ani the box pulled out, it was discovered that Sutliffe had had the wit to seal “ ‘vith vax. The vault attendant would not allow my man to break the seal. It would have cost — him his job, you see. So we’re just where = we started,” Diantha’s heart sunk. She had had about enough of Sutliffe now. Her curiosity a amply satisfied. ‘“ You’re home early,” said the colonel. “Oh, the party was beginning ‘to get rough,” said Diantha carelessly. ‘ Anything unpleasant occur?” he asked: with a shade of anxiety. ‘“ No, indeed!” . Sutliffe not getting beyond you?” Diantha lied stoutly. ‘ On the contrary, I’m learning better how to handle him.” — “Good!” said Colonel Flowerday. “Then we'll start a new line.” CHAPTER XXI. KITTSON, ANDAL was not very seal in for-— R getting Diantha. It caused Nancy | Guyon the sharpest pain ‘to see the light go out of her boy’s eyes, and the old sunken, dogged look return. She guessed, of — course, that something had happened to de> stroy his faith in Diantha, but had no. means _ of knowing what it was. Randal, whose de i termination to thrash Sutliffe had not — abated, still kept up his training. Only h he: never ran past the colonel’s preg ro He set his course in the other ¢ ns halfway round the park and Soon he and Nancy resumed t their afte noon walks, though not in the s 4 a antha was so obvious t over backward in her ¢ Gradually Randal k his mother, veh Bw the feeling th I