Argosy All-Story Weekly — "Sea Marauders" — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

HAWAIIAN HEELS. Ah Long dipped lusciously into an iced mangoe. Quimby satisfied himself with a spread of guava jelly on a buttered biscuit. His appetite did not seem hearty. Perhaps this was natural in a bridegroom on the wedding day. Calling Rova proved to be unneces- sary. She appeared while they were at table. The Chinese serving boy had just departed into the galley when she came in from her cabin, her eyes ex- ultant, her cheeks sparkling with a color clearly not from the rouge pot. She seemed, in fact, quite light-hearted. “Hello, Mr. Quimby,” she called. “Hello, Mr. Ah Long.” They both bowed gravely and said “‘ Good morn- ing,” and looked at each other some- what in concern. This was strange. She seemed like a light-hearted school- eirl off for a holiday. “You slept well, I take it,” said Ouimby. “Well—lI rested. freshed, thank you.” “ And—reconciled.”’ She laughed gayly. “ To the wed- ding,’ she exclaimed, and then held her head back and gave vent to peal after peal of laughter. The looks of Quimby were almost black. Ah Long’s waxen face was like that of animage. He regarded her in- scrutably' with a species of mild curti- osity. . “We are at Sundra,” said Quimby. “Ah, is that where we are?’ Rova lightly replied. “I thought you were I am greatly re- headed last night for Maui. Then we are still on the mainland °””’ “Yes,” said Ah Long gravely. “There is a telephone at the railway station connecting with Honolulu. Your father, I am informed, is at the Moana Hotel there. You can commu- nicate with him at any time, if you like.” “ Thanks.”’ She bowed to the Chinese very slightly. Then her face grew suddenly serious, and she added sharp- ly. “ And I suppose he will tell me that he can keep Weimea and the Maui 571 and everything, only, if I marry you. Is that it, as Mr. Quimby has said?” Ah Long did not move a muscle of his face. He gravely nodded, and then answered slowly, “ That is it, Miss Hol- lins, if you choose to put it in that form. I have hoped that you would see the wisdom of accepting the situation with- out permitting -your father to know that duress was even intended; nor is it, my dear young lady. I will also add that in our marriage relations, if you so de- sire it, we need have no personal con- tacts 3 The Chinese rose. She could not but admire his dignity and repose. He seemed like some impersonal static fig- ure in a moving mechanism. ‘“ Now,” he said, “if you will pardon me, I will retire for a few minutes to my cabin. We can then proceed with the cere- mony.’ Ah Long moved away like some distant automaton on cardboard scenery. She turned to Quimby smilingly. “ve got to hand it to him for nerve and audacity.” In Quimby’s face was no answering smile. His own conflict with his emo- tions had left him a bit weak. He felt almost like a man drugged, so over- mastering was his desire to consum- mate his plot and complete his purpose. “ Please come on deck,” said OQuim- by gutturally. Unsuspecting, for it seemed that nothing malign could meet her on deck, Rova followed Quimby up the compan- ionway. He called sharply, “ Mr. Lee.” The incongruous, white-haired figure in the stove-pipe hat rose and projected himself awkwardly along the deck. Quimby introduced them, “ Miss Hol- lins, the Rev. Mr. Lee.” Then he took her aside and whispered, “It must be me, Rova. You never could marry that Chinese.” Now in broad daylight, in full sight of the town, lying in front of them, the whole thing-seemed more utterly absurd than ever. The most charitable % com Ebooks: c¢