All Story Magazine, December 1913 — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

778 whether I could afford it or not, Ralph should not marry his cousin, [ suppose that was rather puerile; but as | stationed myself at the park entrance nearest to the Rollins apart- ment, feeling sure that Alice and Mar- garet would come out that way, I did not become any the less decided about the affair. After half an hour or so, watching the leaves fall, studying the afternoon loiterers and scanning the sparsely populated walks, became very monot- onous, and in desperation I decided to penetrate further. Searcely a hundred yards round a curve was enough, and when I caught sight of them the cousins were rising from a seat to walk off the other way. When I came up with them [ was a little out of breath. “ Good afternoon.” They halted abruptly and reviewed me in blank amazement. I was glad the path was a quiet one. The blood raced into Margaret’s cheeks and forehead and throat, and then retreated instantly, leaving her deathly pale. For a fleeting second her eyes met mine. And my knees shook. I stood within the gates once more, struggling to be calm, gazing at the slim figure of a girl in a little gray hat and a gray dress, and trembled because she was so near. In a moment the heaviness descend- ed again. The truth stalked up to me and pitched me out; I knew it was go- ing to be very hard to speak through the bars to her and tell her why. Alice, whose clothes harmonized so perfectly, in a quiet, unobtrusive way that one never noticed particularly what she wore, found her tongue first; and her control over her emotions has many times since then been a source of wonder to me. ‘Good afternoon, Mr. Mason,” she greeted me, with just the faintest hint of hostility in her tone. ‘‘ We were just speculating upon whether you would come out of Wall Street a lion or a Jamb.” THE ALL-STORY MAGAZINE. “ Then—you haven’t heard—” “ Nothing,” she interrupted lazily. Some of the color had come back into Margaret’s cheeks, though she continued to find it difficult to take her attention away from the little gold mesh-bag chain which she was wind- ing around her fingers. 2 “ Let’s walk,’ I suggested, and de- terniuned to be as indifferent as possi- ble under the keen surveillance of Alice’s eyes. ‘* Some one in the Rol- llins establishment informed me you were in the park. I telephoned.” A little hand on my right clutched my sleeve nervously. “You telephoned!” Tear reigned in tone and look, but the moment I turned my head and glanced downward Margaret became busy with the mesh-bag again. In the taxicab, without Alice to play censor, I suppose it had been different; but I hardly think, in any case, that she was as much afraid of me in the park as I was of her. “ “TT didn’t give my name,” I assured her. “ Miss Van Huysen evidently knows of our partnership.” Margaret did not answer. she tried to, tongue. “T think so,” Alice replied for her. “And, judging by your expression, what I predicted has happened.” “You predicted?” “Tt hasn’t!” The interruption, filled with defi- ance, was Margaret’s, and she looked suddenly up to me for support. I quailed before that appeal, and my tongue became very thick and unwield- ly, seeming to clog my throat. “Tm sorry—but I'm afraid—that is—we’re—wiped out!” “ Wiped—out ! *’ I hardly think Alice heard it, but she turned her head away. It was just a breath, and the bright red of Mar- garet’s lips faded to an aneinic pink as she catight my arm again—not in dis- appointment, but in fear. For a while ‘no one said anything. JT think but couldn’t find her comnliclooolkks. com