Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 12, 1927 — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

D2 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. way I neglected you. But you know [I al- ways was obstinate; and after I tried to get you to leave here and come to me, and of- ‘fered you a good home, and you wouldn’t budge, I got sort of sore. And after that the years rolled round so fast, that I got ‘to be ashamed to write again; and then, I got scared to do it. Afraid I'd hear you had died in the meantime! But now you’ve forgiven me, I promise you that you'll nev- er regret it!” “You still follow the sea, Willie?” “Veah. Got my master’s tickets in steam and sail. Made my pile, too! And now I’m fixed so I can stay ashore more. Don’t look to get me another berth for a full year. Promised Annie that. She’s the daughter of a ship chandler out there on the Pacific coast. Nicest girl I ever met; you'll love her, Nell! And now, tell me all about this make-believe brother of ours, George Bangs! Start at the begin- ning, and let me have the whole yarn, I’ll fill my pipe.” It took a full hour in the telling; Ellen’s marriage to the respectable and seemingly eligible Ernest. His refusal to bear any share in the upkeep of the place; his dis- agreeable traits, and her final decision that they would be happier apart. The evil in- spiration that had led her to advertise for a “mean ” man, to impersonate the brother she supposed must surely be dead long years ago; and her bitter disappointment when George petered out in his meanness, and she found that instead of getting rid of one man, she had merely got herself saddled with another! 3 “ And now that Ernest knows everything, of course he will never get out,” she sighed. “Tt is his legal right to stay here; he is after all my husband, and I couldn’t bring a single thing against his character! He don’t drink, he is moral, he don’t act cruel toward me, what I mean is he never lays hand on me; and so I guess I’ve got to put up with him till one of us dies!” The real William pulled on his pipe for some time in silence. Then: ‘ You sure you want to get free? That you don’t care anything about Ernest?” ‘“No more’n I care about a last year’s PN, ae \s i William nodded, tapped his pipe against the side of the brick hearth. “ Righto! Then we can fix it easy as anything. You say this George wants to marry Jennie. Is that right?” “They say so, and they really seem fond of each other,” admitted Ellen. “All right. You are to come out West with Annie and me, as I said. For a good long visit anyhow, or to live with us right along, if you will! Anyhow, this house and farm don’t belong to Ernest; no part of it! Now, this is what we’ll do, to make it all ship-shape and legal so there will be no come-backs. “Lease the farm to George Bangs and Jennie, soon as they’re spliced. They to keep, and look after old Jake. After that, you don’t even have any rights here your- self, see? They could order you right out if they wanted to. But you’re going, any- how; with us. And soon as we’ve gone, it is up to George to give Ernest his orders to walk the plank! “He can go where he likes—so long as he keeps out of my way! And when you get homesick, and want to come back, why just come, that’s all! You don’t have to renew the lease; but if Ernest tries to sneak back again, you can always do it if neces- sary.” ‘“T’ve always wanted to see Hollywood,” said Ellen quite surprisingly. Spring had come to Miller’s Creek. Patches of snow were still to be found in the deep woods, besides clumps of arbutus. The old Miller horse kicked his heels rheu- matically in the already pale green fields. Robins were getting plentiful. In the ten-acre lot, George Bangs and Jennie were gathering dandelion greens for dinner; the first mess of the season. As he leaned over to the pleasant task, a tiny field mouse poked its head out of a burrow; and with a sudden sweep of his hand, George caught him and, holding him be- tween thumb and finger by the tip of his tail, he walked over to where Jennie was industriously rooting in the moist earth. “Look what I found for you, Jennie!” he called. ennie looked up, her f ad ke comicbooks.com