Tales of the Thinking Machine

ord lifted wistful, bewitching eyes towards her husband, who sat a

out this mornin

rd grunted in

ple snuggled at a corner of her mouth, “if that

aper and glanced at his wife’s pr

I hardly think I will go out. I feel rather l

articularly,”

crumbs from her lap, laid her napkin aside, and arose. Once s

written. His wife entered and picked up a handkerchief which had fallen beside her chair. He merely glanced around. She was

ng, my dear?” he i

e respond

uite clear even to himself, it surprised him; she had never done a thing like that before. He walked to the front window and looked out. His wife went strai

fterwards he mouched about the house restlessly for an hour or so, then he

d?” was his first question of

ur ago,” responded Ba

ng lashes. She smiled brilliantly upon her husband. To him it was all as if some great thing had been taken out of his life, leaving it desolate, then as suddenly returned. Unnamed emotion

e soup. “I called for Mrs. Blacklock immediately after I left here

e, and toasted his wife silently by lifting his glass. Her eyes sparkled at the compliment. He drained the glass, sn

softly, and she stroked the hand whic

he caught her in his arms and kissed her impetuously, fiercely even. It was the sudden outbreak of an impulsive nature — the sort of thing that makes a woman know she is loved. She thrilled at his touch

ate — until after two — and now drowsily permitted himself to be overcome again by the languid listless

been down I suppose?”

she replied. “S

lifted his bro

ht o’clock, sir,” the maid explained,

leave a

, s

k to lu

dn’t sa

ut noon he, too, went out. One of the first persons he met down town

hat rare type which can bubble becomingly. “But where, in the name

or —” Mr. van Saffo

d him. “I can’t imagine whe

for a moment, and the lines about his mouth harden

erately, “that you saw her yesterday

must be three week

, but his face relaxed a little, masking with a s

st, calmly. “Perhaps she said she was go

had not misunderstood her, and he knew he had not. At last he found himself at his club, and there

mused. “It doesn’t amount t

ad he only subjected himself to open derision for glaringly inaccurate play. Finally

ord there?” he in

he hasn’t r

was still out. At half past eight he sat down to dinner, alone. He didn’t enjoy it; indeed hardly tasted it. Then, ju

d dear!” she sympa

velvety cheek rested against his own, so — so he kissed her instead. And really he

ced into his accusing eyes. “I was out with Nell Blakesley in her big, new t

t there; he could only believe her. Yet — yet — that other thing! She hadn’t told him the truth! In

she inquired solicitousl

ted of inconsequential things as she ate. He watched her until s

were going to call on

ked up

th her all day yesterday, shopp

ily she had started up, then she sat down again and wept softly over her coffee. Mr. van Safford seemed to have a very def

bout —” he stammered lamely, “something abo

readfully tired of staying cooped up here in the house, and r

e?” Mr. van Safford re

“I’m better now, but I haven’t been o

“I’m awfully sorry, I assure you. Then you haven’t ha

aid Miss Blakesley. “I haven’t any sort

lly he stopped walking he was opposite his own house. For a minute he stood looking at it much as if he had never seen it befo

iled. He stared at her with a curt: “Good morning!” Then came an ominous silence. She finished her breakfast, arose and left the house without a word. He watched her fr

have had time to reach the next street below, then he readily saw the two obvious possibilities. One was that she had stepped into a waiting cab and been driven away at full speed; another that she had entered one of the nearby houses. If so, w

t fifteen minutes of eight. She seemed a little tired, and there w

fford been down

am,” he

e in at all

past two, I let him in.

nded to do when she appeared was not quite clear in his mind, but the affair had gone to a point where he felt that he must do something. So he waited impatien

rd come down?” he a

eply. “She went out m

opened

re’s a young gentleman having

m his laboratory table and squinted at her aggressively. Her eyes were distend

t?” snapped

ir,” sh

f achievement, petulantly. “Just what sort of a fit is i

sed helplessly. “He’s just a-walking and

t na

sed me so to see a gentleman a-wiggling like that. He said, though

e of fit his visitor had chosen to have he felt the necessity of this caution. What he saw was not alarming — merely a good-looking young man pac

y the enormous yellow head, the young man paused and his anger-dist

The Thinking Mach

th a slight start. “I— I had expected to fin

chine grumpily. “A man with a black

, with an incoherence which was thoroughly convincing, Mr. van Safford laid before The Thinking Machine in detail those singular happenin

in conclusion, “that when I proved to my own satisfaction that she had twic

” remarked the scientist crustily. “You b

sionately. He arose. His face was dead whit

moment, then glanced up in the b

such a thing be

nev

did she — ev

fford sat

itively. “She wouldn’t kno

own bank

er’s gift at our wedding. It was deposited in her name, and ha

e rich,

on dollars,” was the reply. “But th

g Machine testily. There was a long paus

ross word,”

inking Machine ambiguously. “H

rs — las

ed the scientist. Mr. van Saf

irt

have you b

s — since

an Safford plainly did not se

r wife?” demand

two, in

d any mental trou

, n

ny brothers

N

s s

N

ng man arose and paced back and forth with nervous energy. From time to time he glanced inquiringly at the pale, wizened face o

last, and the wrinkles deepened. “It is, I may say, a pr

relieved to find some one expres

continued the scientist, “that

the young man exp

,” pursued the other, “we are more than likely to uncov

s hands were clenched desperately. Then the lo

his own heart misgave him. “My wife is the deares

The Thinking Machine. “If you are so sur

had intended for he started forward impulsively. The Thinking Machine

urpose can your wife have in acting as she has, and in misrepresenting those acts to you? Of course we must spy upon her to find o

burst out Mr. van Safford, harshl

y in his eyes — almost but not quite. And the habitually irritated voice w

continue to ask your questions because if you don’t she’ll suspect that you suspect; report to me

ompanied him to the door

n in love,” he mused, “

e ‘phone. Half an hour later Hutchinson Hatch, reporter, en

preliminary, “did you ever happen t

wn club-man, worth millions, high in society and all that; and she’s one of

ewspaper men have,” observed the s

hook hi

confidence. Learn from her why Mrs. van Safford leaves her house every morning at eight o’clock, then tells her husband she has been

icked up

an illness Miss Nell Blakesley ha

ge. Without feeling that he was dallying with the truth Hatch informed her that he called on behalf of Mr. van Safford. She began to smile. He laid the case before

imed Miss Beekman. “But I— I

n. It continued for a full minute — a hearty, rippling, musical laugh. Hatch grinned sheepishly. Then, without an excuse,

rimly. “I’m glad I wa

d she laughed! Then Hutchinson Hatch, reporter, began to get mule-headed about it. He visited eight other women who were known to be on friendly terms with Mrs. van

omebody,” he told himself, “and

ened in pained surprise to the simple recital of what Hatch had not been able to learn, a

hing!” he dec

ruck me,” agre

ue eyes were turned upward and the slender white fingers press

g to do,” he said. “And I

” demanded t

n Safford and see

.” Hatch responded promptly. The bull-dog in hi

ch called to make a report. He seemed a

ight o’clock this morning until twenty minutes past nine to

terrupted The Thinkin

. Then she went to the North End on a car. After she got there she wandered around aimlessly all afternoon, nearly. At ten minutes of four she gave a quarter to a crippled boy. He bit it to see if it was good, found it was, then bought cigarettes with it. At half past four she left the North End and went into a big department store

obvious disappointment on his face. He seemed so ca

ow,” he said by way of apo

’t speak

erks, waiters and

a note to anyone

N

e any purpose at all

he gave me was that s

lent for several minutes. “

rs. van Safford came out at seven minutes past eight o’clock, and walked rapidly eastward. She turned the first corner and went on, still rapidly, to the corner of a

nyhow,” he told himself

use of tradesmen. When he examined the door he scratched his chin thoughtfully; then came utter bewilderment, an amazing sense of hopeless ins

ons, then changed his mind and walked ar

?” he inquired of Baxte

reply. “She went ou

m coldly a minute,

oliloquized. “She has either gone back into the house wit

tened to the end, then arose and said “Oh!” three times. Which was interesting to Hatch in

arted into an adjoining

“did you happen to find out what

t it,” returned the

nd, I’ll

Safford home. Mr. van Safford in person received them; there was a gleam of ho

van Safford family in this

family in the city,”

r wife

out this morni

probably locked — and call her. She won’t answer but she’ll hear you. Then tell her you understand it all, and that you’re sorry. She’ll hear that, as that al

ooking at him as if h

ldly, “what sort of

that room,” snapped The Thinking Machine bell

ious?” deman

t you’ll remember for sometime. She has been merely going out the front door eve

ord listened

he do it?”

attention to a beautiful woman who has, previous to her marriage at least, been accustomed to constant attention, would solve this little problem. You’ve spent every evening at

ran out of the room. They heard him

That’s a silly ending to a cra

om. Her pretty face was suffused with colour: he was fran

entlemen into this affair,” Mrs. van Safford apologized, ch

st opportunity I have ever had of studying a woman’s mind. It was not at all log

and turning pi

” suggested Mr

ourly. “Oh, yes, my fee,” he mused. “I

llars?” exclaimed

ollars,” repeate

s perfectly ab

nd on her husband’s arm. He glance

’m worth it, Van?”

cribbled his name across the back in a crab

anization,” he directed. “It was an exce

chinson Hatch, reporter, walked along side by side for tw

what was the matter with

r. van Safford,” was the reply. “She was ill with a touch of grippe. I got that by

ho laughed — what

onsidered in this case the facts could only have been as logic developed them. I imagined the true state of affairs from your report of Mrs. van Safford’s day of wandering; when I knew she went in the back door of he