Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

POKER ““T don’t know what you were trying to pull just now, but I’ve seen other girls that had to work for animals like you to get their living—and I can guess. And so that brings me to what I started to say, Whit- more,” he concluded, and brought his face still closer. “I just want to give you a sacred promise, that if ever you do one little thing to harm that girl, (il crack every last bone in your body. That’s clear?” “Oh, that’s quite clear, dear fellow,” James laughed, so easily that Dixon gaped. ‘“T was merely asking the young woman what had become of you, you know; we have a curious custom, here in New York, of failing to fall on one knee and bow the head when addressing an employee, and— oh, I say, Dixon! Are you quite through making yourself ridiculous?” young Mr. Whitmore asked, and the impatience of his tone was so sharp that Dixon flushed a trifle and looked more than a trifle abashed and bewildered. ‘“‘ Because if you are, it may occur to you that I didn’t come racing here for the purpose of persecuting Miss— whatever her name is. I came to save you a wild goose chase.” ‘‘Pemmerly telephoned again, ten min- utes after you left. Curlew ordered him to start here at once, and he'll be at Curlew’s house in the morning.” “Oh!” said the visitor, and his face dropped suddenly. _ “So, if you’ll come along, we'll look up a taxi and get back there,” James said in conclusion, and shaded a yawn as he strolled back to Betty with Dixon at his side. ‘‘ Miss—er—oh, yes, Banford, you may wish to go to your own home for the rest of the night?” ‘Nope! She doesn’t want to do that! Can’t spare her!” Dixon put in promptly. ‘“‘ Tf I have to talk to that cuss in the morn- ing, I want to get up mighty early and have some of my stuff in shape. You don’t mind getting up early for once, Miss Banford?”’ “Fm used to it!” “ Fine!”’ the big man said jovially, and beamed down upon her; and there could have been no better index to his mental condition just then than the way he glanced 6A FACES. 81 at certain tickets in his hand, frowned - vaguely, tossed them away, and then took Betty’s arm before they had even fluttered to the floor. : ‘All right, then!” he said, and more or less gently pushed James aside as he reached for Betty’s grip and swept it up himself in the same great hand that held his own. “J’ll take that, Whitmore. You just trot off and find that cab, if yeu will. We'll be tagging along behind here somewhere.” He motioned quite peremptorily, and James, after a flitting inspection of Betty, who was looking trustfully up at Mr. Dixon again, turned and hurried toward the en- trance. In the taxi, he ceased to exist! The gentleman from the West, having settled Betty to his satisfaction, leaned over her and talked in low and confidential tones—tones rendered deliberately inaudi- ble to James, perched there on the little folding seat. He laughed, softly and richly, too, did Mr. Dixon, at irregular intervals, plainly amusing Betty, who also laughed. At this shameful scene, doubtless, James should have writhed in uncontrollable fury. He failed to writhe. In simple truth, for ‘the time being overwhelming relief, mixed with a little wholesome terror, had turned James quite limp. Never would he have believed Betty actually capable of going to such lengths— of accompanying that hulk to the depot! That she would have gone farther, he refused to believe. There had been some- thing in Betty’s expression as he lunged toward her across the concourse that had not missed young Mr. Whitmore — some- thing highly suggestive of the frightened maiden about to be rescued, at the very last minute, by her beloved. No, she would have gone no farther, but he had irritated her enough to make her go that far. James shuddered. He had repaid that indefinable look of Betty’s by swearing at her again, hadn’t he? He was as near to being the complete fool as the authorities permitted to roam loose! A decent, humble, affec- tionate two minutes before Dixon reap- peared, and Betty would have insisted on going home alone. Instead, she was pun- ishing him again by flirting further with O CONNIE OOO eS) (c@)