The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 238: what you’re looking at

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

224 ‘Give me that ring!’ Tillinghast demanded. “Go to the deuce!” spluttered Kel- ler, now dreadfully sober, his teeth chattering miserably. For answer Sardonis Tillinghast re- leased his left hand from the ladder, placed it gently on Keller’s head, and bobbed it under the surface, holding it there a second. Then he jerked him, neck and shoul- ders, above the water, teeth chattering, and pale. ‘Tillinghast stared into the fear-fixed face and slowly repeated his command: “Give me that ring!” For answer a trembling hand wa- vered toward him through the lighter mist of steam nearer the surface, and Tillinghast took from its tightly clenched fingers, reluctantly loosening, the broken rubber band with the ring and key. Reaching up to the cement floor, he dropped the thing in safety, and then turned to the quivering head in the middle of the pool. “Give me your promise never to pick up another thing that doesn’t be- long to you,” he said in an even tone. A spasm of fear shot over the face of Keller, and he glanced down at the rippling surface of the black water. Then ‘Tillinghast’s hand slipped, and Keller sank beneath the surface of the pool, sending up a series of bubbles. In a second Tillinghast had plunged in and was diving for his friend. In half a minute he had Keller’s head out of the water, and with frantic haste lifted him bodily to the floor of the steam-room, where he lay unconscious. Then Tillinghast shouted for help. Two attendants sprang to his assist- ance, and Tillinghast looked around for a barrel or something on which to roll Keller. His eyes were frantic with fear. ‘““What’s the matter?” cried one of the attendants. “Drowned, I guess,’ linghast. . For ten minutes they worked over the fellow frantically, and at last all J answered Til- THE ARGOSY. the water seemed to be removed from Keller’s lungs; he spluttered, and his eyes flickered open. Seeing Tillinghast, he asked weak- ly: “ Where’s the ring?” “TI get it,” and, darting back into the steam-room, Tillinghast returned to press the ring into the weak palm of the man he had almost drowned. They carried him to a cot, and in ten minutes he had revived sufficiently so that Tillinghast could tell him how sorry he was to have so nearly caused a tragedy. “That's all right, Till,’ said the young fellow weakly. “I’ve ‘got to give over this foolish business of picking up things and keeping them a while.” “Then you admit you took the ring?” “No. You’re wrong this time. I am engaged to Miss Hartworth. This is the engagement -ring I gave her when we were riding Saturday in the taxi. She lost it and was afraid to tell me, but I saw her advertisement. Then I went to the taxi stand and hunt- ed up the chauffeur who had driven us on Saturday. Just this morning I found him, and by paying him a re- ward managed to get the ring back; he had found it in the bottom of the tax1, where Miss Hartworth had dropped it, as I expected. I am going to take it back to her as soon as I can get out of here.” . “Great Heavens, man!” cried Til- linghast. ‘‘ You don’t mean that ring 1s yours—really yours—and that you have tried for three days to get it back for Miss Hartworth?” “ That’s it,” grinned Keller. “ Well, I am a fool. How can you ever forgive me?” “Oh, that’s all right, Till! I’m so glad to get out of that water I could forgive you anything. Besides, those practical jokes of mine gave you some right to consider I might be playing another this time. But never again for me. I don’t like this business of parading as a sheep in wolf’s clothing.” oO cComicbooks CO