Adventure Magazine Cover — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

836 “T’m not going to make love to you. So long as I’m the only man in your world, I’m honor bound. So long as you’re under my protection, I can’t say a word. But——” He hesitated. She was digging a pink toe into the moss of the rock. ‘If we ever get back to civilization “T’m not quite sure that I wish to get back to civilization!’? she broke in im- pulsively. “But if we do return,” persisted Jim Mayland, “I file my proposal here and now for your hand. That’s all I can do at present.”’ “But you don’t even know my name!” she said archly. “T don’t know your name, nor your station. What does it matter here? That’s the glory of life in the uncharted places!”’ ‘““Myname is Bertram,” she informed him. “TI think now, if you please, we had better talk about—about the weather.”’ tune and twirled his bare toes bliss- “——S fully. She turned and looked out upon the expanse of gray water, hidden from him by the great rock. There was a mist, a cloud, a shadow away to the north. At first she gave it no attention. But the cloud became larger, began to take definite shape. It was coming this way. It was “Oh!” she cried softly at the discovery. “What is it, O Queen?” asked Mayland, with mock courtesy. ‘‘N-n-nothing,”’ she answered. The cloud, which had resolved itself into a hull and a trail of smoke, came steadily nearer. The directness of the course showed that they must have observed the signal flapping from the headland. She watched it in silence. Mayland was humming rap- turously and barbarously some misquoted snatches from ‘‘The Isle of Spice.” On— on—on came the ship of rescue. Nearer, nearer, with its trim, rakish lines ever plainer. Suddenly she gave another little gasp. . “What on earth are you looking at?” demanded Mayland. He scrambled up be- side her. ‘‘Great day in the morning!” he cried. “Did that yacht drop from the clouds?”’ He turned and looked steadily at her flushed, bewildered countenance. ‘Rescue —civilization!’”? he murmured. ‘Back to 9) MAYLAND smiled, whistled out of Adventure the world of untrue standards—and filed proposals!” A puff of smoke ascended from the yacht. The brass signal-gun stirred the echoes. The yacht, in close now, swung to port. “Ha!” exclaimed Mayland. “I’ve seen that pretty toy somewhere! Let’s see.” Straining his eyes, he puzzled out the name, ‘Vanessa, of New York.” “Why, it’s old Bertram’s yacht! I’ve seen her many a time at the New York Yacht Club docks. Old Bertram, you know—the pressed steel magnate. What in thunder is he doing out here?”’ With a sudden sensation of choking, he turned to the girl at his side. Her look of consciousness answered his half-formed question. “Hang it all!” he groaned. ‘‘‘ Bertram!’ I might have known. An hour ago, grand vizier and major domo to the Queen of Equator—now, a_ world’s-failure once more!”’ The girl, paler now, was silently observ- ing the incoming yacht. ““T say—Miss Bertram,” Mayland went on. ‘Of course, you know, I—that is, I couldn’t know I was proposing to—er, I mean I don’t wish to embarrass you with any foolish proposition I may have uttered a bit ago. Forget what I said, won’t you?” “No,” she answered without hesitation. “T sha’n’t forget.” ‘““No!” repeated Mayland. mean is “T mean that a woman who had just listened to a proposal of marriage under circumstances in which her position in the world counts not the slightest, doesn’t care to have it withdrawn the moment position begins to count!” For a few blissful moments Jim Mayland forgot that he stood upon a rocky headland, clothed in the dried leaves of the coco-tree and embracing a lady arrayed in kind, with a whole ship’s crew to gape at the spectacle. He did not remember until the roar of J. Richard Bertram came from the bow of an incoming launch: “‘Elinor—Elinor Bertram! What in the name of heck is that you’re hugging—a man or a bear?” The girl pulled away from Mayland’s strong arms. “Neither, dad,” she called. the man!”’ ‘“No—you “Tt’s just COmiclbook C©