Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 4 — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

Edgar Franklin Author of “ Everything But the Truth,” ‘‘ Annexing Bill,”’ etc. CHAPTER X11. THE OBDURATE ONE. “ JHO was that?” escaped the paint- WY sed lady. George did not reply; he was still staring at the door. “Who was that woman?” Angela de- manded, shrilly. ‘ Arthur ‘had a woman in his arms!” Still George had nothing to say. ‘Indeed, he had heard their questions only in the most remote way, as one might have ‘heard questions from another planet. Because that was Geraldine, who had gone up-Stairs, kicking and struggling! Un- less he chose to assume that somebody had borrowed Geraldine’s hat and shoes and stockings and come here for the sole ‘pur- pose of confusing him a little further, that was certainly Geraldine herself! ' Why had she come? tow had she learned his whereabouts? How, too, had she managed to arrive so silently? There had not been so much as the sound of a footfall outdoors before her ringing of the bell. And why the strange clash with Dr. Poole, out there? Why had the massive physician taken upon himself to pick up George’s wife and lug her up-stairs? “Was it?’ Margery whispered, calmly enough. “Tt was!” said George, from the corner of his mouth. \ And what were they doing now, up above? There was nothing fairylike about Dr. Poole’s walk; even in the sturdy old house, one could follow his direction quite easily. He was still having trouble with the captive, it seemgd; up there somebody, kicked sharply at a wall, and there was a Stifled little squeal. Then a small chain rattled, as Dr. Poole found the pull for the hall light—and the steps went on, appar- ently toward the chamber in the far wing. ‘“ You—let—me—” -gulped past the doc- tor’s ‘hand. 3 And a door slammed, aloft, and the si- lence was complete! On her couch, Miss Starr was sitting up, wild-eyed again, and quite disheveled. ‘“T want to know who that woman was!” she stated. “I want to know why Arthur was carrying that woman in his arms!” ‘ That—lady—” -Margery said, with some difficulty, for she was not resourceful when it came to rapid-fire mendacity. ‘““Where has he taken her?” the girl cried. “I’m going to see! I’m going to fmd them, and learn—” The doctor’s wife rustled swiftly across the room and caught her. ‘“No, don’t! Lie still. Please lie still. That—that’s just a patierit of the doctor’s; she—she’s infatuated with him, I think, and she followed him here!’”’ Margery said happily. ‘Will he—”’ ‘ He’ll be right back; just as soon as he can come. But lie still, please. The doc- tor said that was important and—there!” ““Isn’t she-—shameless?”’ murmured An- gela, as she droppéd back. “Oh! You think so, do you?” snapped from Mrs. Poole. “Don’t you?” “You bet I do!” Margery said grimly, and then caught herself with an effort and, since Miss Starr seemed to have subsided, rose abruptly and returned to George Dare, This story began in The Argosy for February 21. 604 AMICLOOO@ (S| QO) S (C(C)