Adventure Magazine Cover, June 18, 1921 — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

sorcery and Everhard up: far more rapidly than he had thought possible. BEFORE Remy was through talk- ing of himself and his ideas, he was checked by noticing that Zororina was acting as if she were ill and trying not to show it—which was her very artful way of finally turning the subject. No doubt she did feel very nearly ill to know that I had heard so much that she had been powerless to prevent without letting Remy learn that am eavesdropper was in the room. He ap- proached her, and advanced his arm as if to put it shelteringly around her; but she pushed him away with a snappish— “No.” ; ; “Zora!’’ His surprize seemed genuine. “It’s those cigarets.” “Y’ve smoked a thousand of them with ou!” “But tonight—they are stronger.”’ Remy stood staring down at her, puzzled at first. Then his face darkened; and ac- cusingly— “It’s that Lord Bob, is it?” She laughed contemptuously, adding— ““He’s not a dope anyway.”’ Remy’s face contracted into. an expression of jealousy, and his hand clamped on her shoulder, twisting her toward him. More contemptuously than her own voice had been, he said: “Not a dope! You call me that a She sprang up, jerking away from him, demanding how he dare touch her. “If it is Lord Bob or my chauffeur, you, Remy Cantello, can say nothing. I hate men. You know it. All of them. Lord Bob is at least a gentleman a Remy laughed, and with something of real amusement. ‘“‘A gentleman! By the cross of Christen- dom, a gentleman! And no dope. Zora, you're a fool. That fellow is now a mere gutter-wiper for Sin Chang’s Chinamen. A hop-head and a chink hanger-on.”’ “Why, J don’t care,” she said meaningly, as if she really did not care. ‘“‘Zora, here. I don’t want to quarrel with you, you little tiger-cat. Here, see what I brought you.” He handed her a small box. Indiffer- ently she took it, opened it, and held the ring at arm’s length appraisingly; then, carelessly— “Think Hurgronje ’Il miss it?” 75 Remy swore petulantly. “But, Remy,” she explained with an air of patience, “‘he recognized that bracelet you gave me.” ‘‘__ him, that was not his bracelet. I bought it, I told you. I bought it for you, Zora. He saw it and stole it. And I stole it back.” “Ves, yes. Of course,” she admitted with an exasperating manner of. unbelief. “Oh you!” he exclaimed with his hands in his hair. Then accusingly, abruptly: “You've found some man. _ I know you.” With hands resting on her hips she eyed him. ““Men—ugh!”’ There seemed real contempt, even. dis- gust, in her voice. “You devil!”’ “Oh, Remy,” she said wearily, “be orig- inal. Every man I know has called me ‘You devil.’ Sit downand be pleasant. Or go home and let me entertain myself.”’ “What did you want with Hurgronje?” he asked, pointblank. “T didn’t want Hurgronje. He said that he was coming. Of course I had to say, “All right.’ ” “But he said you insisted - “Remy, stop! You'll drive me mad. Sit down—or gohome. That’s better. Go on home. It’s late. I’m sleepy.” Remy sat down reluctantly, and Zoronna moved to the table and sat on the edge of it. I thought the table would give way; it seemed so frail. But the men, masterly furniture-makers who fashioned such things a few centuries ago, seem to have used brains instead of chunks of wood for under- pinnings. Remy restlessly glanced about, and his eye Jighted and paused on the screen so that at first I thought he had detected my pres- ence at the narrow crack of one of the panel- ings. ButI didnot move. It was perhaps just as well for him that he did not by acci- dent chance to reach for a handkerchief, or something in his pocket, at that moment. She saw the direction in which he was staring and demanded with high petulancy: “Oh, look at me when I am talking!” She had not been talking; but women may impudently presume to be unreasonable. It is an inalienable prerogative. He said something about that screen being a “beauty;’ and she called it a piece of Clo@@ \ ) (© (©