The Argosy, March 1907 — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

eo ae | “TRAGEDY AT TRAVERS. oe the fight. But they were too late. gang, whoever they were, had vanished, taking with them the injured—or prob- ably dead—man, and the only traces of the tragedy were some spots of blood on the car-track.” “Ugh! Don’t tell me any more about it, Wiil. v “That is, all except a hat—a black Fedora.”’ ; “A black Fedora!” exclaimed Henri- etta. “Ves,” continued her voluble brother. “It was found a few feet from the car- track, and was supposed to h&ve been worn by the injured man. I saw it down at the constable’s office. It had a couple of initials in it fe : _ /“What were they?” asked Henrietta, in a voice she could hardly call her own. “D. B., I think. The letters were rather blurred—why, what’s the matter, sis? You're fainting. Here, let me help you to the sofa. I’ll tell ma.” And her brother rushed from the room to summon his mother and get a glass of water. They returned on the run, and in a few minutes had brought Henrietta” back to consciousness. Her mother wanted to know what had caused the attack, but Henrietta said it was nothing. ‘Has Willie been telling you of that dreadful affair last night?” Yes—but ” “It was that,” declared her rather: and taking her son by the arm, she led him from the room, reprimanding = for his thoughtlessness. Twenty minutes later Henrietta was in her trap, driving like mad to the home of Dunning Brown. His people were all in Europe, but he had preferred stay- ing at home, to do * as he put it, but in reality to try to win the hand of one Henrietta Smythe. The Brown mansion was in charge of a housekeeper, who incidentally looked after the wants of Dunning. Hither Henrietta sped, only to learn that young Mr. Brown had not come home the night before. Her worst fears were confirmed, and ‘she nearly fainted again as she sank on the nearest chair. “He usually comes home nights, doesn’t he?” she asked anxiously. The ‘a little painting,” ~ Oe course,’ ’ replied the housekeeper, ‘““except when he stays at the club.” ‘Oh! he sometimes stays at the club? What is their. telephone number?” — The housekeeper furnished the neces- sary information, and Henrietta -rang them up. Again she was doomed to disappointment. Dunning had not been there that night. She turned, her face white as chalk, and stared at the housekeeper. “Mrs. Harding, where could he have gone last night?” ‘“T’m sure I don’t know, Miss Smythe! Now that we know he wasn’t at the club, I am getting anxious.” | And then, after.a slight pause, during which she thought deeply, she looked into the tear-filmed eyes of Henrietta and uttered an ominous “ Oh!” She grasped the trembling girl by the arm. : ‘That street-car accident last night! You don’t think ““T don’t know—lI don’t know,” fal- tered Henrietta, her hands gripped + to- gether. “It couldn’t be.” ‘But it might have been. Oh, Mrs. Harding, I am nearly wild with anxiety. I’m trying to think it isn’t so, but some- thing tells me it was—Dunning. There was a black Fedora hat found é “He always wears one.’ “ Yes, I know. And this one had his initials in it. I am afraid—oh—I can’t think of it. It couldn’t have been.” . “Why, of course not,” the house- keeper reassured her. “ He was visiting — you last night, wasn’t he? It was his usual evening.” ‘“ Yes—for a while. But—but we had a quarrel, and he left early—about a quarter to ten. I told him I never wanted to see or hear of him again, and probably he just went out and got into a fight on that account. I can never tell what he is going to do. I didn’t mean half I said, but he thought I did. I expected him to come back, but—but he didn’t, and now it looks as though he had met with a fearful accident. Oh, I can’t bear to think of it!” And the frenzied Henrietta burst into a fresh flood of tears. : The housekeeper tried to console her, but she herself was considerably un- EOMIEDOOKS:. ¥ mo hs ~—y _ : ~~ - < " 4 RES a <S = : a, : en . < 6 ae Bp. - ra is Sohn 9)! oth U ' > Ti | bod. 288 ai Ee” te a ayy ee $43 fey ms ae . hy ne wh hte € ae ee a ee