The Argosy, April 1916 — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

FOOLS OF ing a deep breath; “yet why should I, when you have refused me yours?” “Tt’s not that I am ashamed of my name,” she retorted, “‘and if you knew as much as you ought to know for a man in your position—” Danforth winced under the remark and sat up tense in every nerve as he inter- posed with some trace of contempt in his humor: “T am not aware that I attributed your refusal to give your name to any special motive, Miss Shadow, just as I am fully convinced that you know nothing at all about my particular position.” 7 “But I do,” the young woman reaffirmed, “and that is why I tell you that if you knew as much as you ought to know you would not need to ask me my name—or at least you could have made a very good guess at it.” “Vou mean if I knew as much as I’d like to know I wouldn’t need to ask, don’t you? However, your arguments are so agreeably feminine, Miss—”’ “Don’t call me that again, please,’”’ she cut in sharply. ‘“You make a pretense of talking as though we were having tea to- gether. If you think there are any such par- ties taking place on this island—well, all I can say is that you are one of those men who have tea-party brains. Now lie back there flat again. I’m going.” . He saw her arm and hand vaguely as she raised the revolver. He dropped back on his cot. “Goodby!” Danforth called out cheerily. “As I said, I shall remember only your voice—I shall not remember even that you came here to-night!” - In scornful silence the girl was passing through the doorway, when her feet stuck to the floor like lead, her breath broke into a gasp and she reached toward the jamb of the door for support. Three rapid clanging strokes of the ship’s bell on the pedestal spoke a noisy, impatient summons on the still night. ‘““‘What’s the bell mean?” asked Dan- forth, sitting up, startled. “Tt’s for Mother Juliet,” the young woman in the doorway answered. Her voice was low and weak. ‘“‘What shall I do?” she moaned. ‘‘What shall I do? It can’t be any of the blacks, because they are coming directly to the hut. I saw their lantern shining between the trees as the path turns in and out. SACRIFICE. 107 “No black, I’ve always been told, would dare to come right up to the door. They’d be afraid Mother Juliet would put on evil — spell on them.” ‘““A what?” cried Danforth. “Man alive!” she groaned. ‘You are an imbecile after all, aren’t you? Can’t you understand that it would be bad for me to be seen here by a black; it would—oh, you couldn’t understand what he would say if he found me here! And yet you ask one foolish question after another, while | : Hardly before she was aware of his spring from the cot he was standing be- side her in the gloom, holding her arm in a firm grip. She felt with a returning glow in her veins that he was bigger and stronger than she, although she prided her- self on her stature and strength. “If you are afraid ‘he’ may see you,” Danforth murmured commandingly, with obvious emphasis on the word he, “you must do what I say.” He poked his head into the abode of Mother Juliet and glanced toward the hearth, saying: “Lord, that speck of fire only makes the big tomb look darker.” A tremendous, threatening roar of a man’s voice now burst from the grove, de- manding that Mother Juliet issue forth from her hiding-place. “That’s Michael Sands!” the woman said in a stifling tone. ‘He’ll find us here!” “But he won’t,” Danforth interrupted reassuringly, catching up his blankets and taking hold of her hand. ‘We're going out through the door on this side.” ‘The door on this side?’”’ the woman re- peated wonderingly, and suffered herself to — be led as he felt his way along the side wall to the rear, past the window, whose dusty panes gritted against his finger-nails. At length they reached the door. Dan- forth slapped it lightly with his palm and the hollow sound that resulted was his answer. ‘“‘FAfere!’? he murmured, and pressed her hand unconsciously in the moment of his elation. The woman trembled and pulled her hand free; but Danforth was busy fumbling to find the knob. When he found it he pushed the door open slowly. “There’s a path here that leads some- where outside,” he told her, “and you have Michael safe at your back if you can take cComicboooks C@