All Story Magazine, December 1913 — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

806 “And what Mr. Campbell thinks is more important than what I think. How did you know I should like to be put off? You're going to marry me, you know—not him.” Margaret’s face was a study. “You're angry?” * Not a bit.” “row are:” “TI simply want to be understood, that’s all.” “ But I don’t understand. day you were so different. So splen- did! And now you look as if you wanted to pick a quarrel.”’ “TI simply object to having our ar- rangements interfered with by out- siders. No one else has a right to postpone—” “You mean Mr, Campbell? ”’ ‘He or any one else. Just as I will be prepared to protect you from your father, I hope to be able to get mar- ried and live happily ever after with- out any outside assistance. Judging by this apparently unwarranted post- ponement, I may expect Campbell to hold the reins afterward, too. And, here and now, I may as well lodge an emphatic objection to that. Campbell is all very well in his way, but—’”’ “Don’t you dare to say anything against Mr. Campbell!” She went white in a second. Her eyes were burning, and her little hands so tightly clenched I could see the knuckles shining through. I got to my feet before I knew it and faced her, wanting to kiss the hardness from her little mouth, yet tugged back by pride or jealousy or pique. “Very well. We won't discuss the gentleman. But I think, before we proceed further in our intentions, that you had better be sure of whom you are marrying and why. I don’t want to feel that you married me because Campbell said to.” The anger passed out of her eyes and her head dropped. She looked down at her hands and’ fumbled with a ring. Yester- THE ALL-STORY MAGAZINE. “Tf he told you not to you wouldn't, would you?” No answer, and no movement save the twirling of the ring. ‘He was the beginning and the end of this, wasn’t he? You simply obeyed orders; thought it was rather roman- tic and an easy way out of something that would be just a little more hateful and that wouldn't let you defy your father. Wasn't that it?’ Still no answer. “T don’t think you quite realize what you were going to do, and I sup- pose I’ve been a bit of a fool, too, to think that it was possible upon so short notice. I think we gave that Bob Dol- liver - Lady Alice precedent too much weight. She didn’t run away because some one told her.to. She did it be- cause she loved the man, and if I didn’t like you as much as I do I wouldn't—” Her head came up slowly. Good Heavens! What eyes! They went through and through me —electrified me—inade me tingle from head to foot. “Do you think if—if I didn’t—’”’ She stopped, and I thought she was going to fall. At any rate, I caught her as she lurched toward me; and held her, too. A sob was smothered in the folds of my jacket, and I stood like a sheep, feeling like a brute, wondering if it would do any good if I kissed her. I tilted her face up, and I wonder how many men have seen a woman look as she did then. Try as I will, I can’t explain it. Only one woman ever seems like that to one man. The rest may imi- tate—but as Margaret’s arms came up like those of a tired child and went softly about my neck; as her mouth formed my name, but did not utter it; as I bent my head and felt the warmth of her lips, I knew that Campbell was a mere incident. I felt peculiarly quiet, and for a little while we gazed at each other, as if it were the only thing in the world worth doing. comlicloooks.com