Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 4, 1926 — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

418 and get some sleep,’ Dorothy said dis- tinctly. Even then, brows knitting, big teeth biting oddly at his under lip, Fred Budlong was on his way to the door. James fol- lowed him to the veranda—and there, as the door swung after them, Budlong wheeled about suddenly and gripped James by both lapels. ‘“ Maybe it’s—it’s all so!” he growled. ce Bat” if Heye” ‘“Weli, you get that car back here be- fore to-morrow night—exactly as it was when you took it!’’ Budlong shrieked. “Well, yes, I—” “As it was!” Mr. Budlong repeated; and, for one violent second, shook the per- son of James Cranning. Then he turned and hurried away into the Sunnyvale night. James followed his swift progress as far as the corner, and then slowly made his own way’ back to the pretty living room and the very important job which had been so unfortunately in- terrupted. He found Dorothy gazing at him with plain distaste. “Fred acts darned funny to-night, doesn’t he?’ Mr. Cranning commented. “He surely acts as if he was going com- pletely crazy!” Lips curling, Dorothy shrugged deli- cately. ‘Why shouldn’t he go crazy?” “Why should he, kid?” “Because Irma may have other Jimmies besides you. Fred may have heard about them. And don’t call me kid, please. Fred’s too big and clean to have any real idea of such values—yet.” James flushed slightly. “Say! You're quite stuck on that big, overfed lobster, aren’t you?” he asked. “What?” Mrs. Cranning asked crisply. It was a line of attack, James noted in- stantly, which was really—curiously, per- haps—unwise. “T wish I’d told him the truth about his hellish car!” he snapped. “ And have him wave it away as unim- portant? Have Fred make you a present of two thousand dollars? Have him patron- ize you—and me?” cried Mrs. Cranning, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, who seemed to have some firmly fixed im- pressions of Mr. Budlong. “If you had dared!” : ‘He didn’t look to me like a man who was waving anything away to-night!” said James. “No?” Mrs. Cranning said without in- terest, and selected several sections of the paper, and arose. ‘“‘ You get him another car before to-morrow night,.do you hear?” “Tm going to do that and— Wait, Dot!” “Wait for what, pray?” “{ just want you to sit down and let’s have this fool thing out now to a finish— just you and me, honey!” “Do you—is it possible that you still mean to try your story on me?” the girl cried with round-eyed incredulity. “ After ‘that exhibition?” “Huh? What exhibition?” ‘Of how. you can lie, of course!” Dor- othy answered with utter contempt, and turned away from him. ‘‘ Why, Jim, the lies slipped from your tongue with such absolute ease that once or twice I almost believed them myself.” “Well, was I lying for the fun of the thing?” young Mr. Cranning demanded hotly. “‘ Who started all this mess? Wasn’t I lying for your sake more than I was for mine?” “Oh!” said Dorothy disgustedly, and moved on to the stairs, and then up the stairs. “That’s no answer!” roared from the suffering soul of her husband. “Do you mean that you won’t let me tell the truth because [ lied so well to somebody to spare your feelings?” “Ugh!” said Mrs. Cranning. “Well, ‘ugh’ may be all right in its way, but it doesn’t make sense here!” James submitted rather wildly. “ Dot— wait! Is there something about this that I don’t understand? Has somebody been saying or doing something that I don’t—” Here he really choked. As concerned sounds, he might have been choking to death. But Dorothy never heeded. Up- stairs, the guest-chamber door closed and was locked. James sat down, and shook his head, and shook it, and shook it. He COPMICOOOKS (E@)