Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

THE HANDWRITING ON had over the telephone, but the impedi- ment became less noticeable as she gained in confidence. ‘‘ He used to play with me, and my mother laughed because he’s so big and has arms like that!” She stretched her own small arms out to their widest extent, but her serene face clouded as she dropped them to her sides once more. ‘I’m going to miss him an aw- ful lot.” “Has he gone away?” Cliff made the question as indifferent as he could. “Uncle Charlie says he’s going, and we won’t even see him to say good-by!” Her lips trembled slightly. ‘‘ I haven’t seen him in ever so long, but he was coming last week, only he didn’t. Oh, I forgot!” She stopped, flushing still deeper with em- barrassment, but Ethel laughed lightly. “ That’s funny! Didn’t you have a friend when I worked for you named Joe, Mr. Smith? Seems to me I remember his calling you up a lot.” “Ves of course!”’ Cliff played up to her lead. “ What is your friend’s name, Bessie? Maybe it’s the same!” But the child shook her smooth, brown head. ‘No, thir. My Joe didn’t know anybody that had a toy store. I—I ought to go home; my mamma will be looking for me.” She started to wriggle down off the seat once more, but Cliff had a sudden inspira- tion. “T wish I knew a place around here where we could get some nice ice cream cones!” He turned to Ethel. ‘‘ You'd like one, wouldn’t you?” She nodded, and Bessie cried: _ “Oh, I know! I know a place right across the street!”’ “ Then would you like to run over and get some for all of us?” Cliff placed some coins in her small palm. ‘‘ Get as many as you can carry.” “My mamma mightn’t want me to—for myself, I mean.” She hesitated, and then her face cleared. ‘‘ The doctor let me have some last week, though, when my face was all mumped out. I'll be right back!”’ She sped away, and Cliff asked reflect- ively: “ Do you suppose she will?” THE WALL. 749 “Of course!” Ethel replied with con- viction. ‘‘ She’s an honest little thing, and the ice cream will loosen her tongue. Keep on talking about ‘ Joe,’ and try to make her think you really know him, If she tells — her mother about this talk, she won’t be al- lowed to play here any more, of course; so this is our last chance.” Bessie flew back, a large paper bag of cones balanced carefully between her hands. She sighed with enjoyment when Cliff opened it and handed one to her. “Oh, it’s good! Joe used to take me there to buy them!” Unconsciously she renewed the subject, and Cliff was quick to take advantage of it. “J didn’t always have a toy store, and maybe I do know Joe, after all, and your uncle. His name isn’t Charlie Curran, is it, Bessie?” ‘““Oh, yes!” Bessie clapped her hands. ‘““ And Joe’s is Geiger!” ‘“That’s the fellow! I haven’t seen him in a long while,” Cliff exclaimed with a hearty assumption of pleasure. ‘“‘ He used to have a lot of jewelry and silver and stuff to sell; that’s how I met him; I bought a lot of it. Did you ever know Mrs. Regnier? She’s a friend of Joe’s and your uncle, too.” ‘No, sir!” Bessie shook her head again. ‘But that’s my Joe. He has awful pretty things sometimes; he showed them to my mamma and me—rings and bracelets and things?” “Where is he now, do you know?” Cliff pursued. ‘“ I’d like to see him, and maybe I could do some business with him on the side before he goes away. Where did you say he was going?” “IT don’t know.” The childish voice held a sorry note once more. “ I never did know where he lived, but he used to be at Al’s a lot. Do you know Al?” “Yes; he has a café, hasn’t he?” Cliff paused, and at her nod went on carefully. *“* Maybe Charlie will see him?” “No, he won’t. He phoned to Uncle Charlie at Al’s one night last week, and Uncle Charlie gave him mamma’s new num- ber and asked him to call up home in an hour, but he didn’t. Uncle Charlie didn’t seem to think very much about it that night, oO Gomicvdooks-=co