Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

babe at are! oe ’ pay _ Voice. 778 “Everything’s going to be all right, Len!” “You poor crab! You keep your nose down and you never did look a pretty girl in the face or hear the music of a woman’s Hush! Can’t you hear her voice? Can’t you hear her saying ‘I think rubber overshoes are utterly fantastic’! Wasn’t that music the way she said that?” “Very pretty,” George agreed craftily. ‘““And the way she said to you, ‘ Isn’t science just too funny for words?’ Re- member that?” ‘“T do,” George growled, bristling at the recollection. ‘I can hear her say that all right! Now, Len, you and I are going on a little trip. Out.to my place in the coun- try. Where it’s nice and quiet. Where the air is fresh and you can have lots of milk to drink—and eggs—and new but- ter—”’ “é No! ) : “Easy, old man! It won’t take an hour, Just a nice little ride on the train—” “T’m going to stay right here in town, I tell you!” “Just over the week-end,” George soothed. “Uh-uh! I’ve got to stay near her, George. Maybe I'll see her again—” “ But she said she was going to Atlantic City.” ‘Well, I thought of running down there to-morrow—” “Lord, no!” George advised hurriedly. ““ ‘You can’t do that!” “You don’t think so?” “ Wouldn’t do at all, Len!” George srew crafty. ‘‘ Give her a chance to think about you. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, you know.” “T’d rather just sit here and listen to her voice. Just sit and remember the music of her laugh and her sigh, her—” “You can do that a lot better in the country, Leonard. Sure! There won’t be so many trucks going by the house—and peddlers selling fish and strawberries. Won’t that be a lot nicer?” ‘““‘Well—maybe,” Leonard grudgingly. George clapped his hands like a pleased nursemaid. “ Atta boy! Sure! It’s go- admitted ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ing to be nice—you'll see. Get your bag packed, Len. We’re going right up to the station in a taxi. Everything’s going to be fine! You'll be surprised!” Leonard turned reluctantly to give or- ders to his Japanese boy. Left alone for the moment, George took out a large white handkerchief and wiped his wet brow. His hand shook as he did it. He sighed tremulously and, throwing himself into a chair, concentrated his frowning attention on nothing in particular while he thought out what he must do next. : This was ghastly. Poor Leonard! TI. GEORGE WatTt’s place was a mile and a half from the station. It was a comfort- able, big old house, in a big old yard, back oif the road. The place was so quiet you could hear the sun rise. George carried on his work of scientific research in a big laboratory adjoining the house. All the next day he kept himself locked in there, after giving his housekeeper strict orders not to let Leonard out of sight. He joined his friend in the big library after dinner. “Well,” George said, rubbing his hands and smiling like a doctor about to operate, “how are we feeling now? Have a nice, quiet day?” Leonard sighed deeply. “A wonderful day!” he murmured. “TI lay under a tree in the orchard all day long, just listening to—you know—” “Could you hear her all right?” “ George, it’s marvelous! Seemed as if she was talking right in my ear! Every word she ever said to me repeated itself. It was like a—a concert—sacred music!” “Think of that!” George murmured, af- fecting great surprise. “Yes, sir! Every word. And her little laugh! I could hear that, especially the way she told you, ‘Isn’t science just too funny?’ that—”’ “1 do, Leonard!” “You know, I had my arms around her once, George—we were dancing our first <S oO You remember how she said (S@) Eomichdoo