Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 19, 1924 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

THE ROARING FORTIES. such a whole-hearted and spontaneous out- burst that Mary found her fears dispelled. She noticed again, as on the previous after- noon, that Richard was the very embodi- ment of life. He seemed to be rippling and bubbling over with good spirits. On his side Richard studied Mary closely. It was not his nature to make free with girls, All his past had tended toward re- pression in such company. But he told himself that there was something different in Mary Williston. In an age when woman was literally fair—even to ashen pallor— here was a girl bronzed and robust. “By George, you’re not much like the girls I’ve known.” ¢¢ Why?” “Because you look to me more like a shipmate than a parlor jane.” “Thanks.” ‘Well, I must say, I admire your spunk, coming out here in the dark to meet me on this lonely beach.” In the moonlight Mary caught the flash of Richard’s eyes. To her womanly intui- tion they spoke of dash, of hazard. She re- membered the eyes of Nat Gertridge, in contrast, as that of a lap dog by the fire- side. Yes, those dancing eyes were fascinat- ing, but they were also fraught with peril. “T’m sure that we can be real friends,” said Mary, with delightful frankness. “What makes you think so?” “ Because you’re not one of the kind of boys that makes me tired. I’ve only known you for a few minutes, but even if I had known you for years I don’t believe I could ever tell just exactly what you were going to do next.” “Ves, and I’ll bet you'll keep me guessing just about as fast, Miss Williston.” “ All right, to start with, you may call me Mary.” ‘No, I couldn’t do that.” “Why, Ill call you Richard.” “That would be quite all right, but it wouldn’t seem proper, though, for me to be calling you just plain Mary, since you are the one who made the scarlet burgee for the Valkyrie.” “All right, Tl call you Mr. Dunbar, until you call me Mary,” replied the girl in a petulant tone. She was accustomed to keep 2A 497 a close rein on every boy. But here, already, the situation was getting out of hand. “You said, Mr. Dunbar, that you thought I looked more like a shipmate than a parlor jane. How would it do, then, for us to agree to be just like a couple of ship- mates?” “That wouldn’t do at all.” Mary had reached the exasperation point. It was not her style to make herself easy in the eyes of men, but to-night her poise seemed to fail. She came out to meet a dangerous person, and for a change, it was he, not she, that retained the mastery. A long, uneasy silence followed, in which Mary thought momentarily of fleeing before she might plunge into further indiscretion when Dunbar reassured her. ** You know, it’s not that I don’t want to be like a pal, Miss Williston. We could be great pals, because I know that you are a sport, and you would play according to the rules, but as I said before, you are the princess of the Valkyrie, and every man of us aboard that ship will be honor bound to look up to you, even as we do to your “You seem to be strong for your ship?” Mary had struck a responsive cord. With the love light in his eye, as only the strong can speak of the fair, Richard spoke of the Valkyrie. “* Aye, she’s going to be the loveliest thing that ever put a saucy forefoot in the brine. I know, even before she is launched, that the minute she touches the water to- morrow there’ll be nothing like her on all the seas.” “Well, what is it that you like so much about her?” “T can’t tell exactly. I’ve seen lots of beautiful clippers before. I never saw a clipper yet that I didn’t like. But none ever got me like Valkyrie.” Richard passed on to relate the surpass- ing virtues of his ship. It was all Greek to the girl. But she drank in every word, because even the driest technicality came pulsing and throbbing with a strong man’s love. Before they parted that night the heart of Mary Williston was on fire, as never be- fore, over her Uncle Donald’s new creation. comicbooks.com * ~ \ a a a.