Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 189, No. 4 — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

THE BULLY OF Teddy of a sad little ghost. The bully of Biscayne Bay was whipped and humbled. He saw, as she started almost blindly to- ward his extended hands, that her chin was trembling. This symptom, as he as- sured himself, was good. Let her uncork herself. Hysterics were unpleasant, distressing, but they would turn that dullness into life. But he was totally unprepared for what she did next. She sobbed once as she low- ered herself over the side; then, as if blind- ly, she felt about with groping hands for him, and when she found him, she settled into his arms and clung to him. Teddy Armbister had been waiting for this, or its equivalent in word or deed, for how long? But he experienced no grati- fication now. He had a crushed, broken girl in his arms and he acted accordingly. He gathered her up and waded through the water to the house. He kicked open the door and went in. Once, ages ago? he had dreamed of this —~picking her up lightly and carrying her over the threshold into his home—their home. He had worked hard so that that moment would be as charming as possible. He would carry her into a home appealing and delightful. A sour smell of soggy things was already in the air. A great deal of good furniture was ruined. Everything his gaze lighted upon seemed, in fact, to be ruined. He placed Georgia Woodstock on her feet, and released her. But she didn’t re- lease him. She hung on. Teddy patted her gently on the back, after the immemorial manner of awkward man attempting to soothe distraught girl. “ There, there,” he said, idiotically. She clung more tightly. Her sobbing had ceased. She only held him fiercely, as if she would never let him go. “TJ wish I could say something,” Teddy murmured. ‘ You know how I feel. You know there’s nothing under the sun I won’t do to help you fix things up as they were before.” A muffled voice from his chest said: “I don’t want things fixed up the way they were before.” ““T know,” said Teddy miserably. ie It’s BISCAYNE BAY. just ruined your plans. aren’t going to look so bad. Everything looks its worst now.” There was no verbal response to that. Her arms about his neck tightened convul- sively. “What was the use,” she wanted to know, ‘‘ of trying to get away?” Teddy didn’t know anything about that. It didn’t seem to make sense, so he kept silent. ‘I knew I couldn’t get away,” said the rebel, “from you.” “From me?” gasped the young man. Some of the mislaid fire which could, at times, flame so fiercely in Georgia Wood- stock, made an appearance now. ‘You know very well I was going to sell my place to get away from you!”’ Teddy had been through too much to believe in miracles. “You're hysterical,” he said rudely. He tried to free himself, but she only clung tighter. “You know very well I’ve been in love with you from the very beginning!” Teddy made an even more determined ef- fort to free himself from the clasp of those slim but muscular arms, but with no more success than before. ‘“T suppose,” Georgia panted, “ that you want me to throw myself at your feet!” ‘“T want you,” Teddy retorted, bluffly, ‘to stop being silly. You aren’t kidding me for a minute. You—you’re beside your- self. You’ve been through hell and you don’t know what you’re talking about. You're going to stop this babbling—” “Teddy,” the girl interrupted him, firm- a | do know what I’m talking about. I love you.” ‘“You’ve been through a hurricane,” the young man went on. ‘“ You’ve lost your home and your hogs; you’ve seen the work of years swept away before your eyes in a single day and night—” “T know all about that,” the stubborn girl again broke in. ‘“ And I am telling you I have been a fool to act the way I did— when I loved you all along.” “You don’t love me,” said Teddy. Gomic ddl j It’s going to knock _@ lot off the price, with the house and trees gone, but when this water drains off, things ‘con DOOKS