Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 17, 1924 — page 159: what you’re looking at

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

wad eg s . generous with money, but, after the baby, he began to-cut down. I saw him less and less, and finally he quit coming altogether. I was desperate. I was a young woman ‘with a baby, and I wanted my lawful hus- band. “ Finally I determined to trace him and force him to do his duty. I found him here in New York, and learned he had got mar- ried a second time. I disguised myself as a man, in case anybody should see me, crept up the fire-escape to the flat where he lived, hoping for a chance to catch him alone. It was just getting dark, so I thought nobody saw me. I was lucky. He was sitting in the bedroom, with the door shut. “I pushed up the window and entered. I cried and pleaded with him to come to me and give me and our baby the home we were entitled to. He sneered in that cold, cruel way of his, called me terrible names, threat- ened me. Then I saw red. I don’t know how it happened, but next thing I knew he was lying on the floor, the revolver was on the carpet at my feet, and I was standing, staring at him. ‘A woman screaming in the next room brought me to. I sprang for the window, climbed through, slammed down the win- dow, and ran down the fire-escape. I saw nobody, and I thought nobody saw me. But, before God, I swear I would never have let them convict Mrs. Frayne. If it had come to a serious point with her, I could have come forward and given my- self up. But in the meantime I had my baby to think of. I don’t regret what I did. He was the kind of dog that goes through the world breaking women’s hearts, and the world is better off without him.” “ Wasn’t he afraid you would expose him as a bigamist?” inquired Z. Captain Wigginton spoke up: “ I’ve been looking him up. I discovered this morning that about two years ago he got a divorce from Ethel Frayne.” “A divorce!” the girl gasped. “The papers gave your last known ad- dress as Troy. As you had disappeared, service could not be had on you and the suit went uncontested.” ‘“ And the cur was enjoying so much see- ing me beg and suffer that he wouldn’t cut 309 short his pleasure by telling me about the divorce—telling me I didn’t have any hold on him!” She rose wearily and turned to Captain Wigginton. ‘All right, captain,” she said quietly. “Tm ready.” When they had gone Z turned sadly to me. “‘ That is the saddest part of my work,” she said. ‘“‘ Only the consideration that I am saving an innocent person from an un- just accusation and serious danger makes it bearable. Well, with the justification she had, her punishment will undoubtedly be light; surely society is under no necessity of exacting a heavy penalty from her.” “That explains,” I murmured reflective- ly, “Georgia Frayne’s peculiar attitude. Being in the next room, she heard the ar- gument and learned that she was legally merely Frayne’s mistress and that her baby would be illegitimate. Rather than explain this and bring this disgrace on her child, she was willing to take the blame and the penalty for his killing.” “ Fortunately, her marriage now stands as legal. The divorce will stand, even though obtained under fraudulent condi- tions; there being no estate, no question will be raised.” I was still revolving in my mind the amazing conclusions, now proved to be cor- rect, that Z had drawn from such meaning- less clews. “Tell me,” I broke forth, “how in the world did you ever solve the mystery? It still is an absolute mystery to me.” Z picked up the piece of thread that she had taken from the crack in the revolver (butt. “This thread,” she said, “‘ was undoubt- edly torn off by the sharp nickeled edge of the gun when pulled from the pocket. Where would a woman carry a gun con- cealed on her person?”’ “Well,” I hesitated, “ probably in her blouse.” ‘Certainly. Would a silk blouse give a heavy yarn like this? This is from the cloth of a man’s tweed suit.” “ But,” I objected, “ it might have been caught there some time ago and not been noticed.” COmmicloool< (C@