Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 13, 1923 — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

By KATHRENE and ROBERT PINKERTON Authors of ‘‘ Herdsmen of the Air,’’ ‘‘ The Hidden Kingdom,”’ etc. CHAPTER XX. A SWEET SURRENDER. ICKNELL laid the skull where he had found it and stepped back out of the ashes, Except for Helen’s outburst, no one had spoken. Macleod stood staring at the missionary’s ghastly find. Son of the north though he was, accustomed to its erim surprises, he seemed stunned by what he saw. Alan, sickened and despondent, continued to watch Helen. She seemed to have ex- pended herself in that last cry of defiance. Her face was white and her eyes were dull and unseeing. Swaying and stumbling, she started toward the house, Mears stood as she left him. He had not spoken. Suddenly he seemed to have become very old and completely broken. ‘“ Grimwood,” he said gently, “ you see what I must do. There is nothing else open to me,” Mears nodded. ‘Pll have to lock you up,” the district manager continued. ‘* To-morrow we will start for Fort Bruce.” He led the post manager back to the dwelling house and into his own room. ‘Will you give me your word you will not attempt to escape?” he asked as he left. “Listen to me, John!” Mears pleaded. ‘‘ T didn’t do this. I’m innocent, I tell you. It’s Gray. He's at the bottom of it, some- how. I’m in a trap and you’ve got to help me clear myself.” This story began in the Argosy-Allstory Weekly for December 16. 611 CORNICLOOOKS (F@