Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 12, 1927 — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

By JACK BECHDOLT ly for his billfold and the money necessary to pay a marrying magis- trate’s fee, realized two things in the same instant of time: He was married; he was broke. The girl whose hand rested so trustingly upon his strong left arm, whose pretty face turning up to his glowed like a flower, no longer was Alicia Huggins, late cashier of the Bijou movie theater at High Center, but Mrs. Bradley Harper. That was impor- tant fact number one. Important fact number two, which dawned upon him as news of staggering weight, was the recollection that he had left all the hand baggage belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Harper in the taxi which had carried them post haste from the train to the marriage license bureau—and in one of those bags was packed his spare clothing and the billfold that contained six hundred dollars, all the money he and Alicia had. Bw HARPER, reaching negligent- Not only was their money in the bag, but what seemed an even more appalling loss, the precious letter of introduction which Brad Harper counted upon to land him a job with the Jerome Marcy Com- pany. It was exactly as though an ironic fate had smoothed their way to the altar in order. to strand them, helpless, un- vouched-for strangers in the heart of the great city. Brad gasped audibly and his freckled face paled, but he gave no further sign of his loss while the magistrate’s clerk awaited the fee, lest he disgrace Alicia before stran- gers. Fortunately, he had thrust a few sin- gle dollar bills into his trousers pocket and could, at least, pay for the privilege of writing “ Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Harper ” upon a hotel register—only providing he ever again had the wherewithal to pay a hotel bill. Alicia; clinging trustingly to his arm, Brad led the way into the open air and 630 EOPMNICLOOO KS (C@