All Story Magazine, December 1913 — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

, 812 THE ALL-STORY youse?”’ Della demanded coarsely. “You're jookin’ at me’s if—s if I hadn't nuthin’ on.” Her hands went up instinctively to hide her throat, while the color flooded into her cheeks. Ralph got a better view of the brace- lets. I could see at once that they startled him more than the other things. His eves widened in unbelief, and he moved an impulsive step to- ward Della and stopped. “What the devil!” he cried hoarse- ly, and the rest of what he was going to say died in an incoherent mumble as Fanny slowly turned her head. “Don’ get mad,” she cautioned. “That won’ do no goad.” “Hang it all!” Ralph sputtered. “ Aren't they Margaret’s? ” “T euess so,” Fanny interrupted with terrible precision, “What's took vouse?”’ Della broke in sharply, lowering her hands from her throat. her face now cloudy and threatening. ‘‘ You seen Mac’s frien’ before, or what? ” “T ouess I have somewheres,” Fan- ny replied, her upper lips curling. ‘ An’ more’n that, too. He's rotten, he is. Makin’ love to a sweet goil an’ pinchin’ her sparks to hand ‘em out to—to—” She did not finish it, but a bomb bursting over Della’s head could not have startled her more, and her ex- pression would have been comical but for the lurking antagonism in it. She turned to me for an explanation. * What's she mean? ” “Sure. Ask him,” Fanny taunted. ‘© Ask Mac’s frien’. Why, say, when Mac hears o’ this he'll throw you both out on your heads. I didn’t think you was like that, Della. an’ after all Mac done for you, too.” Della’s- mouth opened, but behind that momentary stupidity there rushed a storm of passionate and savage re- sentment, whipped forward by the pity in Fanny’s tone and expression. “ What—what you tryin’ to—to— insinuate?” “ Nothin’, dearie; jus’ advisin’ you MAGAZINE. not to get too gay with pinched sparks, that’s all. My frien’ don’ wanna start a muss if there ain’t no occasion.” ‘Your frien’! That little shrimp? I thought you wuz past cradle snatch- ing!” Fanny bit her lip, and, as far as her rouge would allow, went quite white. “What the deuce is this?” Ralph broke in, and with lightninglike change of mood swung angrily upon his com- panion. “A trick you’ve played on me? Bringing me here to be made a fool of ? What’s Mason doing here and—and those jewels? ” “Don’t scrap in here,” Della inter- rupted, her mouth ugly in’ a sneer. “T didn’ think gen’lemen talked like that to a lady. Guess your fellow ain’ so swell as you cracked him up to be, Fanny.” “ Shut up!” Fanny snapped, wheel- ing furiously upon her hostess. “ You think because you got your hooks on Mac that you are somethin’. Do you know why he promised to marry you? tle was sore—that’s why—because Miss Alice wouldn’t agree with him when he spilled that chatter about the nachural guardian hookin’ up with the appointed guardian, so’s the Gobbler’d get wot was comin’ to him. He was lookin’ at her like a guy with a tooth- ache, hopin’ she’d kick. She called his bluff, though, and now he’s making good, and that’s why you’re here with stolen sparks and her old clothes. You don’t figure in the game—really.” With her head drawn down between her shoulders Della did not stir. I saw her wince as the lashes of truth wound bitingly round her quivering heart. Some one moved in the hall, stopped, and did not go away. Ralph stood dazed, shifting his at- tention from Fanny to Della, while I sat in a stupefied lethargy, perspiring at every pore, yet feeling a chill creep over me as Fanny swung upon me. “Why don’ vou say somethin’, you boob?” she demanded, her bosom heaving with resentment at being at- tacked by both Ralph-’and Della. comiicloooks.com ra