Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 4, 1926 — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

434 ally disgusted mien, who glared back at James and passed on inward. James grunt- ed. Doubtless, the man thought himself in trouble. , Well, as compared with the knowledge of such things acquired by James himself since Jast Saturday afternoon, he simply didn’t know what trouble was. Head down, shoulders hunched, James strode to the corner, and turned downtown toward his motor agency. The young man with the shiny hair was unaffectedly pleased to see him. Blandly, he indicated the gray car, which stood now just inside the large door, and all ready to roll out. He glanced rather dubiously at the clock, and prepared a diplomatic word or two re- garding the advisability of certified checks when one appeared under these circum- stances so near to closing of banking hours —and there was something rapturous in his sigh as he observed the tight-lipped, in- explicably grim young customer in the act of counting out real one-hundred-dollar bills; for here indeed was the perfect sale. And the perfect car, too, James reflected morosely as he drove out. Lord! This en- gine was just as sweet as the one he had wrecked—and he had perjured himself and purloined the jewels of a lady who was not his wife, to buy it for somebody else! He wormed his way eventually out of the city traffic, and put on a little speed, and then, when suburb after suburb lay behind, and Sunnyvale was coming ever closer, put on not so much speed. Inside, he was turning chilly and sickish again. He meant to pause at his home, and con- vince Dorothy that he had at least re- placed the car; but terror surged through him at the thought of facing her to whom, so very recently, he had raced home every night with boyish haste. He’d burst into tears, or into denunciations—just which he had now no idea. . A mile or two, he considered the alter- native of driving straight to Fred Budlong’s, delivering the four-wheeled disaster, and walking home. Another mile, and he aban- doned the idea. Without a second’s un- necessary delay he had to see Dorothy! He had to look at her, into her, and learn for ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. himself that Irma was either a liar or a fool! He had to face Dorothy, and know— and something, with whatever accuracy, ad- vised James that he would know! Thus he drew up before his home. He waited an instant at the street end of the short path. He seemed to know that the door would open, and that Dorothy would be standing there, shamefaced and repentant and, which was much more im- portant, herself! He seemed to know—well, he didn’t seem to know anything, did he? He had been standing here so long that old Mr. Botts, one door to the north, was adjusting his glasses and squinting at James. Young Mr. Cranning strode into his home, and looked about. She was sitting there, in the very chair where she had been seated at another of his unfortunate entrances, when she had switched on the lights! Now she glanced up frigidly, and James’s poor heart stopped. It was fact! She hated him! No woman ever could look at a man like that unless she hated him. ‘“Good evening!” James said shortly. Mrs. Cranning merely nodded. “There’s the car for Fred Budlong, out at the curb.” ‘I saw it. Why did you bring it here?” “Simply to show you that the bone- headed lob was getting all that’s coming to him!” young Mr. Cranning sputtered. ‘You were worried about it.” Dorothy’s smile grew even more wintry. ‘““How you hate poor Fred because you ruined his car, don’t you?” “Say! That’s not the only reason I hate that addle-pated, lumbering lout, and damn well you—” James shouted suddenly. “Jim!” cried his wife. James Cranning mastered himself. Little bulges stood out near his jaw-hinges, and his fists were tight and he trembled, but he mastered himself. . PI get out of here before—before I say something!” he muttered thickly. “Tt might be well,” his wife sneered most unpleasantly; and then, since he was plainly about to leave, she added: “ Jim—just a moment.” ‘ What?” croaked James. OOO < (EO) im