The Argosy, April 1916 — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

32 ing rob Nancy Raymond of her wedding presents?” “YV-yes,” stammered Yale. innocent.” “Well, I don’t know anything about that. All I know is this. I had sent my youngest boy to a store, and he was so long getting back that I went to the gate to see if I could find him. While I stood at the gate a two-seated carriage—the kind they call a surrey—came along from that direction.” Mrs. Jarratt pointed westward, as nearly as Higby Lane ran in that way. “There were two men in the front seat, one driving,” she continued. ‘There was only one horse. Two women sat on the “But she is back seat. They stopped at Third, and all © got out. The two men went into the woods. The women gathered a few late wild flowers. Yes, they picked some ferns, too. And we have—there, that one—a very late winter pear tree. They picked some pears—the branches go over the fence. “Pretty soon the two men came back with the girl between them.” “Carrying her? Was she unconscious, or was she struggling?” asked Yale. “Bless, you neither. She walked along with her arms in the right and left of theirs.” “Willingly? Was she talking? Laugh- ing?” “She wasn’t talking, that I could see, nor laughing. But she didn’t show any unwillingness to go. I thought the four had come after her and she had made an agree- ment to meet them. “One woman got up in the front seat and took the reins. The other woman ran to meet the girl, threw her arms around her, and kissed her. Then they helped the girl into the rear seat of the surrey, and the woman got in, and sat with her arm around the girl. , “The two men said something and went back into the woods. The carriage returned the way it came.” “And you really think the girl went willingly?” “Well, she went! She made no outcry, she didn’t struggle, and the woman who sat with her seemed very friendly.” ‘“‘Hlow were these two women dressed?’’ “Oh, they were dressed well enough. The rig was a country rig, but the women wore city clothes.” “Thank you, Mrs. Jarratt.” Yale turned away with a sickness at his THE ARGOSY. heart that made him weak. Could it be possible* Was it true? Had his beautiful Beverly played him false, after all? He stood at the side of the car and gazed with aching eyes at Williams. “Where now?” asked that disinterested — party. CHAPTER XVI. A CLUE TO THE HORRIBLE. . ILLIAMS, where do you get to on this road?” asked Yale, pointing along Higby Lane in the direction Mrs. Jarratt had indicated. “Well, you don’t get much of any- where on this road. Get to anywhere you say. Cemeteries, Paris Hill, Neg Hartford, New York Mills, Utica. Say the word, governor.”’ “T have learned that Miss Wayne, of whom I am in search, as you know, met some people here, and went away in a surrey with two women.” ‘Skipped, eh? Gave you the heel?” ‘“What’s that?” ae “Footprints point away from you, eh? Well, I’m ready for anything, from marbles to manslaughter, as long as you pay for it and it is in the game.” This was a tremendously long speech for Williams, and his face glowed with the effort. “Get to Genesee Street. I will decide as we go along,” directed Yale. The automobile moved off, and a glance backward showed Mrs. Jarratt on the front stoop watching the departure. Yale kept a keen lookout as Williams drove slowly, not that the wheel tracks he saw led to anything, but, remembering the handkerchief, which he had in his pocket, he half expected to find some other token Beverly might have dropped as a guide. But he found nothing, and was no better off when the car reached Genesee Street than when he had left Mrs. Jarratt. He looked both ways along Genesee, and west on a road he did not remember. “Williams,” he said, “if you had some- body in here who didn’t want to be seen, but wanted to get away from Utica, which way would you go?” - “Depends on where the party wanted to go.” ‘““Well, suppose the party didn’t know the roads and left it to you?” comicloool C@