Adventure Magazine Cover, April 3, 1918 — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

Hidden Trails mentally called himself a fool. Yet at the time, his request seemed a natural one to make. DOROTHY turned, still without looking at him, walked to the table, reached for a can of peas and es the can-opener, and proceeded to travel ‘round the top of the can. When the peas had been neatly slid into a double-boiler and the can thrown out the lady fixed Johnny with a cool and tantalizing eye. The young man was now wishing himself elsewhere. But to retire gracefully was beyond his powers. He was perspiring a little. Dorothy smiled the peculiarsmile of the entomologist about to impale a rare insect on a large pin. ‘““How long have you known me?” she inquired coldly. ‘““Three—three years,”’ stuttered Johnny. “IT think not,” she contradicted. “You haven’t seen me for at least two years.” “But the year before I seen quite a lot of yuh,” defended Johnny. ‘Three times,’’.enumerated she with in- creasing chilliness of demeanor. “Tt was more’n that,” he insisted. “It was not. Three times exactly—no more, no less. And I don’t believe you said a dozen words to me during any of the three times.” 7 “Oh, ma’am, yo’re mistaken!” Johnny’s tone was piteously horror-stricken. Her lips twitched. ‘“‘T am not mistaken,’ she insisted. “I am never mistaken—in anything I may do. Under the circumstances, having known me such a short time and all that, you know, don’t you really think it’s the least bit nervy to ask permission to call me by my first name?” “Tt’d be worse if I called yuh that. with- out askin’ yuh,” said he matter-of-factly. ‘“‘“Answer my question?” The dark eyes held him. “Y-yes, ma’am, o’ course it would,” he affirmed hastily. ‘“‘’m sorry. I didn’t mean—TI guess I’ll go now.” “Why not wait a moment? I haven’t quite finished.” “VYou’ve made it more’n plain, ma’am.”’ Nevertheless Johnny halted on his way to the door. ‘“‘Have I, Mister Blind Man? I was just about to say that I think it would be very nice indeed to call you Johnny. I’ve ) I2I been wondering how soon you’d ask me.” “You have! Then what did yuh make all that row for?” “Just to tease you. You're so easily teased—even for a boy.” “Boy!” he frowned. “Oh, very well, Mister Methuselah. How’s that?” “Well, I ain’t no gran’pa, but I ain’t a kid neither. I’ve been roamin’ up an’ down this vale o’ tears a long, long time.” ‘““My, what a lot you must know!”’ She stared at him, round-eyed. ‘“‘“Aw, leave me alone,” he begged. “TI can’t talk like you can, an’ yuh know it. Remember, I’m just a young fellah tryin’ hard to get along. I may make mistakes now an’ later, but outside o’ that, my heart beats reg’lar all same alarm-clock.”’ “IT know,” she said seriously, “in some ways you're almost human. You may call me Dorothy, if you like.” “Thanks,” he observed drily. ‘“‘I do like Dorothy. Has kind of a smooth sound, ain’t it? Yessir, I shore always did like that name Dorothy. ’Spect I'll be usin’ it quite a lot from now on.” ‘*Take care you don’t strain your throat,” she answered solemnly, then promptly dazzied him with a radiant smile. ‘Reach me.down a can of tomatoes from the top shelf, will you—Johnny?”’ “All right, Dorothy.” There was more than joy in his grin as he brought her the tomatoes. “A whole can o’ tomatters!”’ the disap- proving voice of Scotty Mackenzie ex- claimed from the doorway. ‘‘An’ a whole can o’ peas! An’ a skillet full o’ hashed Hogans an’ ham! [I ain’t namin’ no names, but they’s such a thing as havin’ a healthy appetite an’ they’s such a thing as bein’ a hawg. Not meanin’ nothin’ or nobody in partic’lar, o’ course.” “Of course not, old-timer, we understand perfectly,’’ Dorothy assured him. ‘‘You’re merely shedding sunshine in your own sweet way. Johnny, while you’re setting a place for yourself at the table set another for the old gentleman with the whiskers.” “T didn’t know I was a-goin’ to stay?” Johnny strove to inject the correct degree of surprise into his tone. “Yuh didn’t, huh?” cackled Scotty. ‘“That’s a good one, that is. Just as if yuh haven’t been sittin’ ’round all mornin’ with yore tongue hangin’ out an’ yore Go 0)(0)(6) ANG SCO)