Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 11, 1925 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

THE BIG GUN. “ Nor Bess—just Bessarabia.” He poked a gentle forefinger into a dimple, asking, “ eh—Raby?”’ “Oh, Raoul, please!’ pleaded. “ No nicknames.” “ Quite right,” he acquiesced. be Bessarabia—or nothing.” For more than seventeen years now the flag of Vosmer determination had flown over Bessarabia, and every attempt to corrupt her to Bess or Betty or Betsy or Bessy or even Beth had been defeated. Yet, within the citadel, impishly, had crept, lodged and become ensconced the roguish—Raby. She was Raby to everyone, and only Bessarabia for the first few years to her father and mother. Raby, the hoydenish; Raby, the arbitrary and quixotic ruler of the Vosmers, The rules and regulations of the United States Navy were a second nature to Cap- tain Vosmer—but Raby was his first nature. He hoped they never would conflict. . Beneath his exterior of disciplinary officer those close to him knew his partiality for Raby, knew that if she had asked him to run the Kansas up to New York so she could see a matinee he would do it—were it not in violation of the regulations—or any other little thing like that—unless it would spot the record of one of the most exemplary officers in the service. None knew it better than his orderly, who stood on duty outside his door eight hours of the twenty-four, and who had been stationed in the passage during the episode of the trying on of the hat, and also during its aftermath of the borrowing of the book. The next morning Captain Vosmer was at his desk preparing a report to the de- partment on a new experiment in fire con- trol which he wanted tried out, and, finding need for his French text on_ ballistics, stepped over for it to the shelves in the admiral’s dining room. The orderly saluted as he passed out, and sensed the possible embarrassment to Raby, to say nothing of the dilemma of her father, if it should happen that the captain required _ that particular book. Moreover, he felt a personal responsibility. He had been there when the book was taken away and had — said a 2A. \ Mrs. Vosmer “Tt must 177 His worst fears were presently confirmed. The captain hunted through the shelves fruitlessly, going over every book-a second time, and muttering to himself, “I put it here myself, right here, day before yester- day. ”? The captain glanced up, saw the intent look on the face of the orderly and de- manded, ‘‘ Who’s been meddling with my books?” The orderly stood a bit stiffer, eyes front, heels at right angles, hands stiff along his trousers tape. He was not sure that the question had been directed to him. “Orderly!” snapped Captain Vosmer. There was no avoiding this. The marine saluted and pivoted quarter face for a direct gaze. “ Who’s been meddling with my books?” Here was the dilemma direct. Should he deliver Raby to her father, and render both uncomfortable, and perhaps get the worst of it in the bargain, in the long run, or— what should he do? The captain-must have sensed his guilty knowledge. ‘‘ Think, orderly,” he de- manded. ‘‘ Has anyone been at this book- case since yesterday?” “Yes, sir. I saw one of the yeomen, sir.” ‘“A yeoman? What business have they got in here?” “I don’t know, sir. I saw one reading here, and making notes from one of the books, sir, and—” here he decided it was best by all means to leave Raby out of it, “T think he took one away with him, sir,” he concluded. ‘Well, get that yeoman, and bring him to me, immediately—and_ the pork ee, cially the book.” A few minutes later Cyrus, book in hand, stood shamefaced before the captain. The orderly had said nothing to him, but already he had entered silently into the conspiracy to shield Raby. Was he not man enough to stand responsibility for his own actions? There was nothing unique in this, neither. in Cyrus nor in the orderly. The whole ship’s roster, from executive officer down to the last deck swabber would have done as much—or more—for Raby. | (S_G Eomicboo se re The captain quickly saw the hook was s