Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 14, 1928 — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

THE WEST POINT ROMEOS., Here was a situation which Bill and Jack had dreaded. And, they had been hurled into it headlong, without even a minute’s notice. A girl within ten feet! Her clear gray eyes appraised them. Her mouth was amused, slightly scornful. As for the roommates, they did not know what to do, or how to act. Bill doggedly kept his head down, and watched one nervous foot scrape back and forth along the polished floor. Red was in a daze. Here she was! Why, she was lovely! But he and Bill were avowed woman haters. All Red could do was stare. The silence was becoming unbear- able. 3 The girl spoke. Her voice affected one as does a cornet played softly. “That stupid Buford! He forgot to introduce us. I’m Margy—Margy Gilmore.” There was another silence. Evi- dently Bill and Jack were amazed that she had ‘a voice, a laugh, and a name. “ Aren’t you going to tell me who you are?” she went on. “ Oh, I know what I’m going to call you!” She clapped small, white hands in front of Jack’s freckled nose. “You're Red! You couldn’t be any- thing else.” Jack’s heart turned a somersault. By this time Bill had found his voice. “My name is Fenton—William Fenton,” he said almost surlily. She further dumfounded them by slipping two hands through their re- luctant arms. “ Now that we are well acquainted, let’s go up and dance.” She had to drag them to start them off.. But there was nothing else for them to do. Dance! V. _ Stares and open grins followed the trio down the wide hall, and up the marble stairs. | 268 Indeed, when they reached the big ballroom it seemed to Bill that the music stopped purposely on their ar- rival in order to let everybody know that the woman-haters had a girl, and were going to dance. Bill was furious. mess. How could he ever face the world again? He’d be ashamed to step into the boxing ring. They were waiting for the music to begin. ‘Miss Gilmore,” articulated Bill desperately, “will you please. excuse us a minute?” She turned a pair of powerful, quiz- zical eyes upon him. |“ Why, certainly! Only don’t call me ‘Miss Gilmore’ any more. Call me Margy.” Bill tried to kill her with a glance, but it did not work. Instead, he dragged the semiconscious Jack to one side. “Jack, you’ve got to dance with her,” he insisted fiercely. Es Poor Red began to tremble afresh. ““T—T can’t, Bill. I don’t know how to dance. Besides, I don’t want to.” Jack did want to, but his nerve was picking daisies. “ All right,” said Bill in a voice like that of a judge, “ we'll match for it. The loser dances with her, the first dance. If Hayes doesn’t come back in time for the second dance, the winner dances with her—and has the first crack at Hayes. Agreed?” Red nodded humbly. Solemnly, the two roommates pre- pared to match in the traditional fash- ion of the United States Corps of Cadets. They turned their backs. They shook their right hands in the air. ‘Then they faced each other. One thumb was up. The other down. Bill stared at the downward point- ing thumb of Red. His eyes con- tracted. “ You always were lucky!’ he snort- ed. “ But, remember. Don’t you dare Gomichbooks Here was a fine ©