Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 11, 1925 — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

196 me have an advance. So I grabbed it and ran after you.” She thrust a little wad of bills into his hand. “No! No!” insisted Ferris. ‘ That’s yours. And I owe you fifteen dollars more. I hired you for a week!” ‘ “Don’t be silly. Anyhow, we can’t quarrel on the street. I haven’t had break- fast yet. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind sitting and talking it over while I eat. Purely a business matter, you understand. The breakfast will be on the house.” There was a merry twinkle in her eye. Ferris felt himself flushing. That phrase was reminiscent of their other meal to- gether. This time it was he who was being propelled in to a table. ‘“Now we will go on with our quarrel,” she announced as she comfortably settled in her chair. She held his gaze for a moment with clear eyes that seemed to read all he had in his mind. Ferris suddenly surrendered. He’d got to be square with this girl. ‘““ Miss Dennison,” he began with a rush, “‘T will keep this money, and I'll tell you why.” In a few words he blurted out the truth —that is, all except the suffering it had caused him. ‘““T meant well, and it turned out all right. I really thought I still had a chance of making good when I told you that crazy story, but I was a clumsy ass about it and you probably despise me,” he wound up dolefully. There was a suspicious mist in the girl’s eyes now. “But I don’t despise you,” she insisted. “How could I when you saved my life? When you found me I hadn’t eaten for two days, and I was just about through. And, what’s more, you amused me a lot when I needed amusement most. I wanted you to tell me the truth and thought you would some time. You had better tell the rest of it He stared at her stupidly for a moment. “You mean you knew?” ‘““T guessed a little at a time. I began guessing when you came back to the table , THE ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. that day with your wrist-watch gone. I guessed some more from the way Mr. Mer- sereau over-did his assurances about you that day I called on him first. And to-day I guess from the way you look that you haven’t eaten much yourself this week, while I’ve been getting as fat as a little pig on your money.” “‘ Don’t rub it in, please,’”’ Ferris begged. “Anyhow, I hope we are going to be friends.” “We don’t need to be enemies,’’ she agreed. ‘‘ Now tell your friend, if you feel like it, what you’re going to do.” “Tm going to keep hunting for a job. You haven’t let old Gotham get your goat, and I’m not going to.” ““I am afraid it has got mine,” she con- fessed. ‘‘ Now that I’ve got a job at last and the fight’s over, I seem to dread this big city more than ever. I think maybe I’m incurably small town folks. Are you sure you aren’t? Why don’t you go back to Rochester? I would.” Ferris looked thoughtful. “Not without fighting it to the limit,” he gritted. ‘‘ Of course, I may have to in the end, but not for awhile yet, not till I’m surely licked thoroughly, and I don’t yet believe they can lick me thoroughly.” She leaned suddenly across the table toward him. ** Did you mean what you said when you told me you’d want to hire me back as soon as you got settled somewhere where you could?” “T surely did!” he declared with fervor. ‘‘ Suppose—just suppose you had to go back to Rochester after all. Wouldn’t you need a secretary or, anyway, at least a plain stenographer up there?” Ferris jumped to his feet. “Do you mean it? Would you go to Rochester?” “ Well, I'd have to give Mr. Mersereau two weeks’ notice, to be decent, I suppose,” she demurred. ‘“* Run right up and do it now while I go down the street and telegraph,’ he ordered. ** We'll have the waiter hold our table until — we get back. Gotham can have our goats, if it wants ’em!” END (E() 000) (6)