Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 11, 1925 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

176 eat “So I can perfect my invention.” “What invention?” He wiped the sweat from his brow. It was unbearable. She had no right. ‘“Why—” He hesitated, and was silent. He looked down, almost sullenly. She hopped off the table lightly, and said, just as if he were an equal: “ Pouf! You think because I’m a girl I can’t understand about the big guns. Is that why you won’t tell me?” “No.” He barely opened his lips. “Then why?” He thought now of a good excuse to pro- tect his secret. “ Because,” he dared, at last, Jured to it by the saucy challenge in her merry eyes, ‘“ we in the navy are not permitted to talk about the service to out- siders.” This pinged her. The eyes flashed blue- black again. ‘‘ Oh,” she exclaimed angrily, “T’m not an outsider! I’m the captain’s daughter.” This flattened him. He was so taken aback he was unable to speak though he opened his mouth to reply. She saw she had whipped him instantly, by an unfair advantage, and relented immediately. The lovely blue came back to those seductive pupils. She laughed, apologetically, while he mumbled his apologies, to which she responded by placing the book in his hands and exclaiming: “There! Take it! Study it all you like. And I do hope your invention is a great * one!” Diffidently he took the book and said the very thing he immediately regretted as being the height of tactlessness. “ But the - captain—he might not like it.” She stamped her foot, twirling the dress hat in her hand, crying, ‘“ Of course he'll like it. Do you think he won’t let his daughter lend one of his books, a stupid old French book on—ball—ball—is—tics?”’ She made a mouwé and started off. He touched his cap, humbly. _ At that moment in the doorway appeared a young officer, searching for her, an ensign. “ Hello, Raby, here you are!” he called in — ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. about to withdraw, Cyrus looked toward the officer who had ignored him. It was Ensign Tenflair. CHAPTER VII. TWO SCORES TO SETTLE. HE Commander of the U. S. S. Kansas was Captain Raoul Vosmer, U.S. N. His father was the Commander Vos- mer who served under Commodore Porter on the Mississippi during the Civil War; his grandfather was the Vosmer who went to Japan in 1852 as a flag officer under Commodore Perry; his great-grandfather had commanded a gunboat in the war of i812 and a privateer under Decatur against the Tripolitan pirates. He was born in the navy, bred in the navy, lived in the navy, and had no hope or ambition outside the navy. If one wanted to know the finest fruit of the American navy he had only to know Captain Vosmer. Being, as he often said casually, in the second century of his service, he wore it like an old glove, easily and well. There were two Vosmer children, William, the elder, just of an age to prepare for Annapolis according to family tradition, and his sister, a year younger. When she was a tiny tot and lay in her father’s arms while he discussed with her mother an appropriate name—he had just been commissioned lieutenant and was back from the first cruise to foreign waters, where, for a time, he had been stationed as naval aide to the American Ambassador to the Court of the Sublime Porte—he said, “See that far-away look in her eyes? Makes me think of Bessarabia.” “What a charming name!” exclaimed her mother. “Is that Turkish for Elizabeth?” “No,” he laughed, “ it’s a country I’ve never seen, but always wanted to. Look! In her eyes! There! So far away—so very far!” “It’s so original and poetic! I wonder if any girl was ever named Bessyrabia?” “T hope not,” the lieutenant mused, a cheery voice. “let’s begin.” ee * Yes. Percy,” she replied, joining him. “Only we mustn’t call her ‘ Bessy,’ ” the iF ee sone voice was familiar. , Book in hand, mother acquiesced. ~ ee ee ~~ “ Se ee wi . BS — a ee ee mee — ~€omicbooks:co