Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 7, 1925 — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

this queer effect in the very first second— there was something oddly glorified and exalted about Helen! Her eyes shone, her lips were parted like those of an eager child. But there was a lot more than this to the indescribable new expression, Thomas sensed and wondered—and could not find the answer. “ Why, Sam!” gasped Sam’s wife. “ Hah!” guregled from Samuel’s throat. “ What—what in the world—” “You're home at last, are you?” came more dizzily from the same throat, and more furiously. “Why, yes; I came up on the nine ee five. Sam, you weren’t worried? I’m sorry. JI’d have been here ten minutes ago, but Freddy’s front tire blew out, down by the drug store, and he had, to stop and change, of course. The poor young one was so flustered, too! It was the first time it had ever happened when—” “Come in here!’ rasped and scraped from Samuel Harkton, as his forefinger in- dicated the corridor. And now this nameless new expression of Helen’s, Thomas observed, disappeared en- tirely, quite obliterated by amazement that was not unmingled with some little anger. Her eyes widened; her head came a little higher. “ Well, yes, that—that’s what I meant to do, of course, Sam,” she said.. “‘ What un- der the sun is the matter with you?” “Come!” said samuel, barely holding down the rage that was upon him. He closed the outer door behind her. Again his big finger came up, indicating the way to his den. ‘““Now go in there!” said Samuel Hark- ton. Just once, Helen glanced rather wild in- quiry at Thomas. Thomas nodded quick, srave assent. Thomas also glanced at his hat, his coat and at the outer door and opened his lips to speak; but at the sight of the mighty Samuel looming above the frail Helen he seemed to change his mind. Thomas, also, moved sadly toward the den. Samuel closed the door there, too. Chest heaving, eyes blazing, fists tight, he glow- ered at the mother of his children! | “ Where is he?” WHERE SHE BELONGS. fiercely. “ Where is—who, Sam?”’ “Your friend! Your friend Rivers!” Mrs. Harkton winked rapidly. She did not wink in what a reasonably calm man, perhaps, would have considered a suspicious - manner. Rather, she winked confusedly and very prettily. “Where is he?” she repeated. “I’m sure I don’t know where he is. He’s home, I suppose. Why?” “Don’t try that innocent stuff on. me, Helen!” Samuel thundered. ‘“ Don’t— ‘“ Don’t do what?” Mrs. Harkton gasped; and then, as some faint realization seemed to come to her, she turned incredulously te Thomas Wilbur with: “ He—he isn’t being _ jealous of Jim Rivers, is he?” “Well, I—tell you, Nell,” Thomas be- gan, most uneasily. “ a a Wee yes, i think he is. You see—”’ More than this he did not say, for Mrs. Harkton’s head had gone back; Mrs. Hark- ton, In fact, was emitting several peals of the most natal laughter. For some mo- ments, its intensity quite shook her slender little bade = Jealous—of Jim!” she cried. “ Why—”’ “ You can’t laugh it off, either!”’ her hus- band broke in savagely. “Ym not trying to laugh anything off!” said Helen, and her merriment ended very abruptly. *“ Helen, you listen to me!” ordered her husband, and the thick forefinger pointed straight at the lady. “ You were locked up all day with that man, in a private room!” ** In the laboratory, do you mean?” “* Call it what you like,” sneered Samuel, “you were locked up with him!” Mrs. Harkton caught her breath. For one remarkable, flashing moment, the glori- fied expression returned, too. “ And do you know why?” she cried. “I don’t want to listen to any neat, in- genious explanations, if that’s what you mean!”’ Samuel said roughly. ‘ I—aha! Aha! You’re blushing!” “ Well, at the sort of thing you’re trying to imply, I think that any woman might blush!”” Mrs. Harkton responded, quite “Vou dare—” That’s not all I know, by a long Samuel laughed wickedly. “ You. © Wait! shot!” ecomiebooks com