Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 21, 1922 — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

74 ‘“Oh, I guess you could repeat to me anything she told you,” Simpson replied. “Tf I gave her my word that I wouldn’t betray her I’d have to keep it, Silent,”’ said Shelby. ‘‘ Suppose I turned you over to the po- lice right now?” Shelby stood looking at him. Then he sighed heavily. ‘‘T guess you’d have to do it, Silent,’’ he said. ‘I couldn’t throw down a girl who trusted me, no matter what she had done.” A little gleam came in Silent Simpson’s eyes. “You can’t forget those gray eyes, can you?” he asked. “Me?” Shelby said. ‘“ Why, Silent, this is the second time I’ve seen Miss Suther- land in my life.” “Gosh!” Simpson said. ‘‘ You are young, aren’t you? Well, here comes Osborne. Run along in there after I’m gone and see what you can find out. I’m going after Osborne. Call me up to-night. If you don’t get me, call me in the morning. Can you do that much?” “Tl do that much,” Shelby promised. CHAPTER VI. SILENT SIMPSON. SBORNE came out and started up the street. Simpson followed him discreetly. Shelby was left alone under the trees. He tried to think logically, but his brain was bewildered. He felt his own immediate need of aid, but he could not understand the actions of the other folks in the drama. Indeed, their drama seemed not to be his at all. It seemed to him then as if they had only come into contact by accident. By going in to see the girl, at Simpson’s request, he could not discover how he would be serving himself. Simpson was investigat- ing something, but it was nothing which had to do with the plight in which Shelby found himself. It was something which antedated the murder of Thornton. It was something, in fact, which antedated the wreck, and therefore it was something which antedated all of Shelby’s troubles. It ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. reached back to the far time when Shelby had been a contented young brass-pounder at Boynton. But he had told Simpson he would go in to see the girl, and to say the least he was not averse to seeing her again. So he went up and rang the bell. It was a frankly puzzled young lady who confronted him across the threshold when she opened the door. The gray eyes widened in surprise and then they yan up and down the denim-clad figure. “Yes?” she said, and she was as remote at that moment as Shelby’s past life. “1’m Shelby,” Shelby announced. ‘“‘ My good gracious!” the girl exclaimed. ‘“What has happened to you? What are you doing dressed like that?” ‘Keeping out of the clutches of the police mostly,” Shelby said with a quick glance over his shoulder for fear one of the minions of the law might be lurking in ‘the dark back there. “Qh, yes,” the girl said. ‘“ Come in quickly before any one sees you.” He entered the hall, and she preceded him into a sitting-room off it. She took his cap and reached for his dinner-bucket. He surrendered it, and their eyes met. Hers were brimming with laughter. ‘It’s no joke,” Shelby said with a touch of sullenness in his voice. He had a renewed sense that nobody cared a hang about him and his troubles. Silent Simpson was not interested and the girl was amused. But she quickly sobered, and her eyes softened as she fixed them on his-face. Her gaze had the effect of wine in young Shel- by’s blood. He had not fully realized how lonely he had been. ‘You must have had a terrible time,” she said. ‘ Sit down and tell me about it.” He sat down and poured out, his tale of wo. She was not amused again. When he finished she was wide-eyed. ‘“‘I think you have been very resource- ful—you and your Mr. Sweeney,” she said. ‘You haven’t told any one that I was at Mr. Thornton’s house that night, have you?” ‘Not a soul,” he answered. “But Si- lent Simpson knows you were there.” comicloool C©