Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 17, 1924 — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

290 Harmon. The whole thing is as remark- able as anything of which I’ve ever heard —that a perfect stranger should have been drawn into such a mass of plot and coun- terplot is little short of amazing.” Eddie found himself thrilling at her men- tion of his attack on Murgson. It stirred him deeply. It struck him he ought to do something. He got up and moved about the room. There were two windows. He drew up the shades and stared out. There was nothing to see; that is, there was no way of escape. The windows were above what seemed a sheer drop. He completed the circuit of the room and tested the door, while Mil- dred Elton watched. “There isn’t any chance of getting away, I’m afraid,” she told him. Eddie went back and sat down. “ No. They picked a room without any fire escape outside its windows. They don’t mean us to get away till they’re ready.” And all at once he found her eyes upon him. ‘“‘ You were surprised at my accept- ing Blumefeldt’s bargain, weren’t you, Mr. Harmon?” ‘“T—” Eddie stammered. “I guess it was the only sensible thing to do.” “Still it surprised you after my high- flown words in the café this evening. I hardly know why I did it, except that Blumefeldt is different from the others, and he seemed concerned about our safety— and we didn’t really know anything more than we had known before, and were not to be permitted to see their backer when Irak returned.” She was right. Eddie knew it. She was a wonderful woman. She had kept cool and used her head all along. “Of course,” he said. “I can see it now, though I couldn’t see it then, The trouble with this entire affair is that no matter what happens, it isn’t what it seems. Murgson and his bunch tried to fool Blume- feldt with a bundle of counterfeit bills. Even their deal was phony, and then Blumefeldt comes back when they were trying to find out where he was, and hazes them into a corner. Lord, what a mess!” “Tt is ridiculous some ways, isn’t it?” said Miss Elton. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Eddie assented. ‘“‘ Yes, I suppose it is. [t’s certainly been a remarkable start to my vacation. And suddenly Portia was smiling. There was a twinkle in her eye. “ One might call it a counterfeit vacation, Mr. Harmon.” Counterfeit vacation. Eddie stared. Shut up, locked in this room, in an un- known house in the Chinese quarter, the prisoner of unscrupulous men, this girl was joking. She had admitted herself that no one knew her whereabouts since she had left her apartment. They were lost in so far as either knew save as in themselves they could work out their own salvation, and yet she could sit here and pun. He made an effort to match her humor. ‘Counterfeit vacation,” he repeated. “Well, yes—” and stiffened as a sudden sound of commotion filled the room. He sprang up. Portia, too, had risen. They stood there in startled terror while somewhere below them the thing went on— as a muffled uproar—the shouting of men —the sound of running feet, and rending wood—a shot! Once more something unexpected had happened in this strange course of events. That was the thought that struck Eddie as the first hint of fresh trouble for the men in the other room broke out. And to judge by the noise, it was something of a major importance. But what? He looked into Portia’s eyes and found them wide, dark, staring. And her slender body was rigid. One hand had crept up and lay against her breast, and she seemed to be holding her breath. Then her color drained from her as the sound of the shot cracked out. Suddenly Harmon realized in a flash that despite all her seeming coolness—all her efforts to lighten the situation—this little Portia he had come so strangely to know inside the span of a few brief hours was afraid. She was afraid—afraid. His manhood flamed at the knowledge. Once more, as earlier this evening, she was just girl—just sweet, adorable womanhood incarnate. And what had happened—what? So many things could happen. The situation they had left in the room below them had been pregnant of so much. Go OOOKS AUG (C@