Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 21, 1922 — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

THE GREEN STAIN. find her! I know that sounds like mere bluster, but I’ve never totally failed on a case yet. And this, the biggest one I’ve ever tackled, shall not be my first failure! I must succeed!” “If I can help in any way, command ‘me. I’m glad to see you don’t think I’m criminally implicated because of the legacy of the pearls. Eleanor shall never touch them until we’ve positively concluded that Betty is dead. But that’s a small matter. Those pearls have lain undisturbed in safe deposit many years. They may lie there many years more, but let the search go on steadily.” “You know nothing of North person- ally?” ~ “No; I never met him. Has he no rela- tives?” “‘ Haven’t found any yet. But, you see, the police don’t hold that it is a criminal case as yet. They say he may have walked out of his own accord.” _ “ Half dressed, and leaving his watch be- hind him?” ‘“‘ And that note to say what had hap- pened! That note rings true, doctor, and either it is sincere, or North is one of the cleverest scamps I ever met up with!” “It’s conceivable that he is a scamp, but I can’t see anything that points to it. Why should a perfect stranger to the Varian family cut up such a trick as to come up here and pretend to be kidnaped if he wasn’t? It’s too absurd.” “ Everything is too absurd.” said Wise bitterly. CHAPTER XIV. A GREEN STAIN. “¢ ELL me more about Betty,” Zizi said, “that is, if you don’t mind talking about her.” “Oh, no,” Minna returned, “I love to talk about her. It’s the only way I can keep my hope alive!” Zizi was sitting with Mrs. Varian while the nurse went out for a walk. There was a mutual attraction between the two, and the sympathetic dark eyes of the girl rested on the face of the bereaved mother. 123 “Tell me about her when she was little. Was she born in New York?”’ ** No; at the time of her birth we chanced to be spending a summer up in Vermont, up in the Green Mountains. I hoped to get home before Betty arrived, but I didn’t, and she was born in a tiny, little hospital way up in a Vermont village. But she was a strong, healthy baby, and has never been ill a day in her life.” ‘* And she is so pretty and sweet. I know not only from her picture, but from every thing I hear about her. I’m going to find her, Mrs. Varian!” Zizi’s strange little face glowed with de- termination and she smiled hopefully. “IT don’t doubt your wish to do so, Zizi, dear, but I can’t think you will succeed. I’m so disappointed in Mr. Wise’s failure—”’ “ He hasn’t failed!’ Zizi cried, instantly eager to defend her master. ‘“ Don’t say that! He is baffled; it’s a most extraordi- nary case, but he hasn’t failed, and he won’t fail!” ‘“* But he’s been here a week, and what has he done so far?” “T’ll tell you what he’s done, Mrs. Varian.” Zizi spoke seriously. ‘“‘ We were talking it over this morning, and he’s done this much. He’s discovered, at least to his own conviction, that. Betty was really kid- naped. That those letters you have re- ceived are from the abductors and that through them we must hope to trace Betty’s present whereabouts. This would not be accomplished by merely following their in- structions as to throwing money over the cliff, As you know, Dr. Varian advises strongly against that, and Mr. Wise does, too. But they have learned of some more letters found among your husband’s papers, signed ‘ Step,’ and we hope to prove a con- nection between those and the kidnapers’ letters.” ‘‘ What good will that do?” Minna asked, listlessly. ‘‘Oh, Zizi, you’re a dear girl, but you’ve no idea what I’m suffering. Nights, as I lie awake in the darkness, I seem to hear my baby Betty calling to me. I seem to feel her little arms round my neck—somehow my mind goes back to her baby days, more than to her later years.” ‘“‘That’s natural, dear, when you’re sd comiclboooks C©