Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 7, 1928 — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

NOW WE’RE RICH. Henry took them to the.door. Henry returning to his living room and gazed at his own wife, still rather dazedly. “ That last one he got off was funny, wasn't it?” said Henry. “I didn’t know there was a spark of humor in the man.”’ “There isn’t. You mean about giv- ing them something?” ‘““No—not something! About giving them five thousand dollars!” Laura looked up. “You don’t intend simply to threw William on his own resources? He has none, you know.” “Well, neither have I—or mighty few! Do you—do you think he ought to have five thousand dollars, too?” Laura’s shoulders rose, much after the manner of Harrison’s. “Tt isn’t a fortune,’ she murmured. “Tt isn’t, isn’t it? Well, by—” Henry said, and said no more. He knew well enough what was in her mind; it was in everybody’s mind around here and evidently playing the very devil with tverybody’s balance and behavior. And maybe it was natural enough that William, mentally and physically a gangling boy, should have been affected. But Laura, who had always been so sane and so steady and—by thunder! Laura was crying again! Henry hurried to her and gathered her into his arms, commenting fully on the situation at last, and soothingly, and he did it rather well. After all, the sun wasn’t going out just because a couple of fool kids had married. They’d get on all right; every one did, once they settled down to the business of life. What if William hadn’t said any- thing? What if he had lied about being at Henderson’s? Probably Henry’d have done the same thing. Later, when Laura’s tears were dry, Ina and her Donald returned, the latter glancing annoyedly into a living room usually unoccupied at this hour. They heard the big news with proper amaze- 255 ment; they asked countless decorous questions. Then Donald, after a noiseless kiss in the dark vestibule, went his respect- able way and Ina passed on to bed and to dreamless sleep, which she did in- evitably as 1f run by clockwork. A man would have darned little to fuss about if they were all like Ina! Brantree wandered downstairs still later and for a time forgot his own troubles in the shock of William’s escapade. Midnight struck and the three were still there, talking about William and how on earth William was going to support a girl of Joy’s rearing and whether—as Laura seemed to hope— they might not feel it wisest:to come home here and live until they decided just what they did want to do. And then the telephone jingled briskly and Henry rose and moved toward it with a sour: ‘ Probably lost the money his grand- mother left him, by this time, and wants me to send him some more, Hello!” “Mr. Morrow? Charles Burtis speaking,” came to Henry’s ear in a heavy voice. “Is Gerald there at your house? My son, Gerald?” “He is not!’ Henry snapped, and instantly stiffened. ‘ Why?” “Ts your daughter Margey at home ?” “No! What’s the matter?” “ Nothing at all, perhaps,” the voice went on. “ Nothing, of course, Mr. Morrow. But I understood Gerald to say that they were attending a dinner dance at the house of a friend and I happened to call up there a few minutes ago. They had not arrived.” “Well, you don’t think—” “Oh, they haven’t been inteiieedl: My brother came in from Podham not ten minutes back, and he was almost certain that he had passed Gerald’s car, going in the other direction.” The voice paused. Mr. Burtis, ap- parently, was awaiting the comment of COPMNICLOOOKS (C@)