The Argosy, April 1916 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

20 and don’t put on any sidelines of talk. Yes -or no will do unless there are necessary : statemc NS at length. One question, now, answerea either way, will settle the busi- ness. Did you take those wedding pres- ents?” “T did.” The audience stiffened. A grim smile ap- peared on Raymond’s face. Greenland shot a glance of triumph at Yale, who looked as though he felt an earthquake under him. The great shoulders of the judge heaved forward, and he rested one arm on the desk as he stared into Miss Wayne’s face, which was now full of suppressed laughter. “Young lady, don’t fool with me,” he said. “You are not telling me the truth. How could you, a young girl, get away with a big dining-room tableful of- silver- ware? It would weigh hundreds of pounds.” “Oh, I didn’t get away with it—as you mean. I got away with it though. I didn’t steal the silver. I took it with my camera.” The judge fell back in his chair as though he felt weak. Yale grew suddenly strong again. Half a smile showed on his face. _ “That is a falsehood,” said Mr. Ray- mond. “This young lady arrived at my house at about five o’clock yesterday. There was not sufficient light at that hour to take a photograph. The silver was gone at half-past six this morning, and there was not light enough® then.” “What have you to say to that?” the judge asked Miss Wayne. “T took a flashlight picture at one o’clock this morning.” “At one o’clock? Was the silver on the table then?” “Of course. How could.I have taken a flashlight of it otherwise?” ‘“‘Where is the picture you took?”’ “Tt is undeveloped, on the reel, left with Mr. Phrey, on Broad Street.” “Tell me how you came to take a flash- light of the wedding presents without ask- ing permission.” | “Tt didn’t hurt anything, and there was no one to ask. Let me explain. Last even- ing Mr. Yale—that’s Mr. Yale, over there —Mr. Yale and I took a walk and a trolley ride, to get out of the vay, knowing that Nance Raymond and her family would have a lot to do. We went to the Hotel Utica for supper, and got home somewhere around midnight. Everybody except Sims, the butler, was asleep. “T went to bed, but lay awake thinking THE ARGOSY. about Nance’s wedding, and the presents, and all that sort of thing. Then it occurred to me that a picture of the tableful of silver, just as it was, would be a nice thing for Nance and me to keep. You see, judge, amateur photography was ordered for me by my physician after I had fallen from a horse and had a long spell of nervous trou- ble. He forbade any more riding or yacht- ing, but said I must have a fad that was not dangerous. Now it seems that photog- raphy is the most dangerous fad I could take up.” “Go on with your story of what you did at one o’clock.” ‘Well, all I did was to get up, put on a kimono, pick up my camera and a flash- light, go down to the dining-room quickly, and take the picture. I found some boxes the presents had come in, and put one on top of another till I had a pile high enough to rest my camera on, instead of a tripod.” “Did you turn on any light?” “No. I have a small electric sticklamp that I use. It gives me all the light I want to make my arrangements.”’ “You are sure all the silver was there?” “Yes. I rearranged the pieces to bring the smaller ones forward and put the tall ones in the background.” “But doesn’t a flashlight go off like a pistol? Wouldn’t it be likely to rouse the house?” ‘Most of them do. I use a newly in- vented flashlight that makes very little noise, and leaves very little odor. It com- pares to the old flashlights as smokeless powder does to the old black powder.” “You are a—you know a good deal for a girl. You are not an anarchist, I hope.” ‘‘T am not even a socialist. But this isn’t a political meeting. So far as noise is con- cerned, everybody in the house was dog tired and a pistol shot wouldn’t wake ’em.”’ ‘Well, so much for the flashlight. How now about the front door key?” ‘Your honor,” said Blake, stepping for- ward, “I don’t wish to injure the young lady’s chances, or mar the effect her de- fense may have upon the court. But when 1 told her that in order to take her before a magistrate I must first put her under ar- rest, she told me to go ahead—that it wouldn’t be the first time.” ‘Were you ever arrested before?” asked the judge sharply. He could resist the violet eyes when there was duty to perform. “Oh, yes,” said Beverly, tossing her red- Gomiicorook C©@