The Argosy, Vol. 90 No. 1 — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

THE FIFTH ACE, Mil at once Dan commenced to-chuckle, and Willa could feel his shoulders shake beside hers. “What is it?” she demanded, with a quick glance at him. “T’ve just thought of something, miss. If Delehanty is on his station now, watch us lose the laddybuck on the motor-cycle!”’ They had reached a corner on lower Broadway, whence the home-going stream of humanity had long since disappeared like ants into the burrow of subway entrances, but where a burly traffic policeman still loomed bulkily in the middle of the thor- oughfare.. Dan drew the car up at the curb, leaped out, and approached the minion of the law. A short colloquy, and he had returned, and the car shot down Broadway. “You can look back now, miss,” sug- gested Dan. Willa turned. The motor-cycle had been halted in mid-pursuit, its rider gesticulating in futile rage and vexation while the obdu- rate bluecoat held him fast. ’“ How did you do it, Dan?” Willa asked. “ Delehanty’s death on motor-cyclists since one ran him down last summer. I told him this feller was a chauffeur in the same garage as me, and trailing me now on a bet, but that the license on his machine was phony. We'll be there and back before he gets through explaining at the station- house.” Once across the bridge, Dan led the big car far out to a sparsely built-up section of Flatbush, and there at last his object was achieved. A loud report echoed behind them, and glancing over her shoulder, Wiila saw the big car swerve and come to an ab- rupt halt in the ditch. “ Tire burst!” she announced. with us, Dan!” “Tt was, in the shape of some broken glass!’ her ally retorted, grinning. “ I said a prayer myself as we went over it. The way is clear now!” Second Place was a dull row of sober brick dwellings, with prim muslin curtains behind each window-pane, and ‘an air of bearing its indubitable respectability self- consciously. The car halted before a house midway in “ Luck is 167 the block, and Willa was up the steps in a flash and pealing the bell. A swarthy, middle-aged woman, with a white apron over her ample silk gown pre- sented herself and stammeringly bade the girl welcome. ‘The Sefora Reyes and José? see them, Senora Rodriguez. from your daughter.” “She did not tell you, then, senorita?” The woman raised her fat hands in expos- tulation. “ Heaven is my witness, it was not my fault! I did not think to watch her; she did not even glance toward the window! Could I know what she medi- tated?” I must I have come “What is it?” Willa seized the woman’s. arm and shook it convulsively. ‘‘ What has happened to Sefiora Reyes? Tell me!” All at once a frail, crooked little form catapulted itself down the stairway and fell sobbing at the girl’s feet. “Senorita! Senorita Billie! The grand- mama has vanished! She rose and went from the house in the dawn, when all were sleeping! She is gone!” CHAPTER XVI. THE POOL OF THE LOST SOULS. ILLA went home at last in a daze of consternation which took no note of the heightened storm. The unexpected catastrophe was a death-blow to her long- cherished plan; but even that faded for the moment before her stern anxiety for Tia Juana’s safety The story which Willa succeeded in drag- ging from the Rodriguez woman and José was simple on the face of it, yet many pos- sible complexities presented themselves to the girl’s vivid imagining. Tia Juana had seemed contented enough in her new abode for the first day, taking a childish pleasure in the novelty of her suroundings, but later she had become depressed and sunk into a moody silence, save that now and then she muttered ominously to herself and made strange gestures with her clawlike hands. José she had driven from her harshly, only to seize and draw him close, and on the previous day she had eaten nothing, but oO comicbooks CO