10-Story Book, July 1931 — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

42 10-STORY BEGINS ITS 30TH SUCCESSFUL YEAR! TWO GENTLEMEN AT 40 (Continued from page 27) disappeared and returned at once with Michael Bourne’s top-coat and hat. “I’ve ordered the car,’ Henderson said. “That’s fine.” When the bell rang, Peter Austin had given up Michael Bourne, because he re- membered that he had always been so punc- tual. He was glad that Michael had come at all. As he took his coat and hat, he was thinking, He is beginning to show his age just a little bit. Hair greying a little. Nice grey, though. He said, “I am glad to see you, Michael.” Michael said, “You don’t know what it means for me to see you again!” He thought, He doesn’t. How devilish hand- some he still is! He looked rapidly around the room to see whether he could find any photographs. There were two, one of a young lady, and the other of a young man. He studied the young lady’s photograph quite carefully, and then decided that the young man was Peter’s latest. But when Peter turned the lights up a little, he saw that the photograph was one he had given him twenty years ago. I’m getting old, he thought, when I no longer recognize myself. Peter said, “Make yourself at home, Michael.” He thought, Still the same old Michael. Wonder what he’ll think of my having his photograph up there. Michael said, “Thank you, I will. You're looking well, old man.” He thought, Why has he got my photograph up there? I don’t like it. Peter said, “I can appreciate that, coming from you, Michael.” He thought, What is there about him that I want? What is there about him that’s keeping me from him? Michael laughed a little. Then he said, ‘TI wondered why you put my photograph up tonight.”” So that Peter might not lie about it, he added, “It’s quite obviously just been put up now—it’s a little too new to have been up all these years.” Peter said, “Yes. I put it up just now. But all the same, it’s been up all these years.” He thought, He won’t get that, I’m afraid. Michael said, ‘““Wanted to see how I’d changed, I dare say.”’ Then he laughed, “I have changed, you see.” He thought, What did he mean—‘It’s been up all these years?’ When his mind suggested an explanation, he pushed it away and said to himself that at his age he should not be romancing any longer. Peter said, “Will you have something to drink ?’’ remembering at the same time that Michael never drank. Michael said, “I think I will. It’s un- usual, I know, but I should like a dry Mar- tini, old man.” Peter said, ““That’s easy.”’ As he went out of the room, he was thinking, There has been a little change, anyway. When Peter had left the room, Michael got up and went over to the photographs. He looked at the picture of the girl and read the signature, “Always yours, Jessica.’’ Then he looked at his own picture, and read the signature on that, too, “Love, as always, Michael.” He thought, Peter never quite un- derstood my writing that, and he smiled to himself. Then he looked around for the picture that had been displaced by his own, for he could see by the marks in the faint dust where the picture stood that another had been standing there before. Presently he found it, stuck away in a drawer. It was a photograph of a young boy, quite striking, but certainly not as handsome as Peter. He read the signature, “For my darling Peter, Robert.” “Dear me,’ he muttered. He put the picture back into the drawer hastily thinking, I hope he hasn’t got that on dis- play. He always had more finesse. When Peter came in with the drinks, he saw by the way Michael was stroking his ECORNICIHOOKS.E© mn