Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

128 “Tf you’ll let me take you to lunch [ll open a cold one!” “T’ll think it over,” she said. The first day of the second week went down and Peter had five more days before him. He had been looking about a bit, he confessed to Mamie, and although he was certain of something equally as good at once he hadn’t managed to get trace of it yet—with a sigh which he could not quite smother. The second day passed, and the third. That night he brought home a book that he had kept at the office and Mamie, from the hallway, saw him pat it fondly as he put it on his dresser; and she heard his “Oh-h-h-dear!”’ as he hung up his coat. Grinnell’s spirits mounted meanwhile - and never had he been in better feather than when he left the breakfast table the following morning. Next week he would go behind the wicket, with a better chance, more money, more prestige. ““OQh-ho—hello, chicken!”’ he said in sur- prise as he slammed the door behind him and saw Mamie standing on the steps. “T waited for you,’ she confessed. “Have you forgotten that lunch and that cold one?”’—archly. “Have I forgot? no!’’—step- ping close and taking her hands in his. “Well can’t it be this noon?” “If it can’t come any sooner it’ll be all right; five hours is a long time to wait, though!” “Don’t try to kid the teacher,’’ she warned with a responsive squeeze. ‘“‘And— can’t you beat the clock a little? An hour’s hardly long enough to put over a real party.” “You bet I can! I’m solid as rock with Wolf and the old mutt here wouldn’t say anything anyhow. Twelve, that— Where? Th’ Fashion Grill?” . “That’s good. Until then— as careful as you can!”’ . She ran from him and he stood looking after her, lips parted. “Some baby!” he muttered excitedly. Well, be Mr. Wolf and talked so! Adventure EVENING came, and the Brandt boarders. Mrs. Brandt’s fluster was complete, her complaining in- cessant and at concert pitch. “Without a word! Moved out without a word. Banged his trunk down-stairs an’ scratched that walnut newel post all up. Look at it! Can it be beat! Can it be beat?” she reiterated. Mamie came in, a trifle tense, possibly a little pale. ‘““‘What’s the row?” she asked Peter as she heard the landlady’s voluble lament from the kitchen. ‘“‘Has she mislaid her jooles or has her husband come back?” “Come in,” he said agitatedly and drew her into his room. He was white and shaken, and wet his lips nervously. “Such a time!”’ he said under his breath. “That boy—young Grinnell—he was away almost three hours at lunch this noon and he came back terribly drunk! My! Weall tried to stop him but he went right up to By the Lord Harry, it was a trying experience! ‘They had to throw him out; wanted to fight and everything—and then he came here and made a terrible disturbance taking his things away ‘Well for the love of Mike!” said Mamie, something of the old brittle quality in her 9 manner. “Then he won’t—you won’t “Oh, no! Tl stay on, now. He won’t do at all. They even gave me a raise, and said so many nice things and—I hate to think that it was because of that young ‘man’s misfortune, though——”’ And later in the evening as thev stood looking up at grim, suffering-saturated Bellevue, Peter shook his head and said: “TI can’t think what got into that boy, drinking so! I thought all the time it was all talk.” “It was,” said Mamie. Peter, it was.” He did not see the cynical little smile of triumph that fired her face, but he gave her small hand a fond patting as she squeezed his arm affectionately. ‘“‘Believe me, CoOMmiclsoo ©