All-Story Weekly, Vol. 112, No. 1 — page 136: what you’re looking at

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

126 “And Pll come overt to-night and help eat it—if you'll let me.” =~ “You know you're always weleome at our house, Billy.” . Well, I don’t know for sure whether I am or not. I’ve seeti your dad hand out some looks that were not as encouraging er cordial as the welcome sign on the door- mat!” . “ Billy! any one.” Well, maybe net tincordial—but just a little more irritated than neutral. Does he Know I want to marry you?” “Of course not! How could he know? Who would tell him?” ¢¢ Why—”’ And in the instant an idea was born in Billy’s brain. He grinned to himself. Why shouldn’t he tell Mr. Van Zandt that he wished to marry his daughter? Because it would make Mr. Van Zandt very mad? But suppose Mr. Van Zandt did become very mad, what then? Why, he would doubtless throw him— Billy—out of the house and tell him to stey out! And he would likely call Nafiny in and tell her never to see ot speak to him—Billy —again! And he might tell Mrs. Van Zandt to see that his instructions were car- ried out to the letter and thus put the fintish- ing touches on a great scetie. And then? -~Why, he—Billy—would be a maftyr. Nanny would feel sympathy for him.. They would meet in clandestine fashion—stolen Papa wowldn’t look that way at sweets afe always sweeter—and eventually: he might be able to get her to elope with him. Then Mr. Van Zandt could go to— no, he wouldn’t say it. Aftef all, the man was her father! “So long, Nanny,” he said at her gate. ‘Could I whisper something in your ear before you go in?” “You're not going to ask me again?” she inquired suspiciously. “Give you my word of honor,’ he said earnestly. Billy’s word of honor was good and Nanny knew it. She turned up her ear. “T love you,” he whispered. ever happens, don’t forget ¢/at.” ‘¢ What- ALL-STORY WEEKLY, “Whatever happens!’’ she éxclaimed wonderingly. “ Why, what could happen, Billy?” “You never can tell,” he said mysteri- ously. “ Billy! You are not goifig to—youw’re not going to do anything foolish, are you?” She was thrilled at the veiled hint of something unusual in Billy’s words. She had a@ vision of him jumping off Brooklyn Bridge, or slashing his throat with a safety= razor blade, or scattering his brains all over the yard with a bullet. ‘*T wouldn’t call it foolish,” he said. - “ Billy, promise me you won’t try to kill yourself or anythirig.” Kill himself! He hadn’t thought of that! Well, one thing at a time; but he told him- self that he could, #f necessary, stick an- other iron in the fire any time by being caught. with a bottle of carbolic-acid or some such thing. He would bear iftn mind. “ Ob, I promise,” he said with a sigh, as if he only half meant it. He thought he caught the gleam of Mr. Van Zandt’s eagle eye through a window. Well, Mr. Van Zandt would know all by midnight. And let him do his worst! The harder he blew up the better... More than one irate father had forced his dattghter into an unsanctioned marriage without knowing it, and without intending to do so. “Youll surely come over after supper?” asked Nanny anxiously. “TH be here,” said Billy. And he glared defiantly toward the win- dow as he departed. IT. C. WHiTNEY VAN Zanpt, Esq., reclined in luxurious ease in a big leather chair be- fore an open fire in his library. | It was his dignified custom to sit thus, of a late evening, with a book in his hands, ,ostensibly reading, but really thinking of his numerous investments and real estate holdings and contemplating with quiet satis- faction the forttmate lot of the Van Zandts in life. ' The library was his sanctuary. The bal- ance of the house might be given over to the revels of his children or the social func- CO DOO AMC S C©