Argosy All-Story Weekly — "Sea Marauders" — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

THE SCANDAL ON KITIKAT KEY, having this strange, beautiful girl, even if she was knock-kneed or bow-legged —under his roof. So far as he knew, it was the first time a woman had ever slept under this roof. And there was a strange residue in him, resulting from that few seconds he had held her tight in his arms and she had clung to him. You cannot hold a tender, warm, soft girl in your arms and ever feel quite the same about her afterward. Gerald wondered if he were falling in love with Susan Finch. He decided that he was. After all, she was a little beauty, and what if she were knock- need or bow-legged? All of us have faults, and bow legs or knock-knees are not cardinal sins. Well, he had faults, too. One of his feet was a half size larger than the other. Anyhow, it seemed fairly reasonable that he had fallen in love with Susan Finch. After all, why not? She could always wear long dresses, and, besides, it would be eminently pleasing to Uncle Jethro. He had never yet gone out of his way to please Uncle Jethro. Why not make this sacrifice? Gerald fell to wondering about ways by which he could cause Susan Finch to fall into his arms again. Yes;helovedher. He would try to get her into a bathing suit in the morning. His dreams of romance were assailed by mosquitoes arriving in greater num- bers and with greater industry. Then the air turned chill. It always did after one of these squalls. He found present- ly that he did not have sufficient cover- ing. He went out on the veranda for the blankets she had used and found them to be rain-soaked. He returned, shivering, to the living-room couch. He lay down and suffered. Mosquitoes whined about him. One flew into his exposed ear and he slew it with his little finger. Others came to the assault, and the air grew colder. It was almost dawn when Gerald fell into a fitful, resentful slumber. Damn Susan Finch! How he hated that girl! She had ruined his little paradise! He had hardly fallen asleep, it seemed, when a sweet, sleepy voice yafiked him back to consciousness. And he opened his eyes upon the slim figure of Susan Finch, swathed in a gray bath- robe. Sunlight was streaming in at the windows, and the air was balmy and warm, ““T wondered if you wanted to take a dip,” she was saying. “ Aunt Becky said you always went in before break- fast, and breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes. ‘There’s barely time. Shall I wait for you outside? It’s a glorious day.” The darkness of sleep, he saw, was still in her eyes. They were large and beautiful and rested, and her lower lip was slightly pouting. “ All right,” said Gerald, grumpily. He found his swimming suit hanging on the clothesline out in back. He would, of course, have to wear the cursed thing. His mood cleared a little as a thought struck him. He would now have the opportunity to settle for all time the vexing question of whether Susan Finch’s legs were bowed or her knees knocked. : He hastenéd around the corner of the bungalow and found her standing at the veranda steps, still swathed in ‘he bathrobe. She had imprisoned her dark mane in a bright-green rubber diving cap. ‘“ Do you go in from-the dock ?” she asked. Fe nodded and they made their way down the path to the south cove. It was, as she had said, a glorious morn- ing. The sun was just up—a shining ruby disk above the eastern horizon. The water was faintly ruffled by an easterly breeze. “What time do you do your study- ing?” the girl wanted to know. 2 Studying?” Gerald vaguely repeat- ed. “Your law,” she elucidated. “Oh, that,” said Gerald. ‘‘ Oh, af- ter breakfast, I guess.”’ He wasn’t interested in law; he was 2 * C he { 2 BE eR Ae rn SA rn ice SN cy RS Sa he s nae rs Li a ae. a er tee es oa pt fs