Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

= 382 before he is done! Suppose some little thing should hold up the completion of the dam for a few days—ruin! It is like a magnificent and strong machine that can be ruirted by the dropping of a single little bolt. What a tragedy that would be— the dropping of the little bolt!” He left the window. He began | to walk spiritedly up and down the room.” The critical gleam had left the eyes of Margaret Tyson, for as her brother talked she saw a new vision of this Garth, this heavy-handed son of the soil. She and _ Henry Tyson had grown up in a close in- timacy, more as man to man in friendship than as brother and sister, and her whole urge was to follow him in his likes and dis- likes. So that now she dropped that bar- rier she had raised against Garth—that barrier of good taste—and prepared to find the good in the man, beneath the rough exterior. More than the words of her brother de- scribed Garth, she felt the man in the change which had come over Henry. Be- fgre, he had been a pleasant and amiable wastrel. for evil. It seemed to her that she had onty known the surface of Henry before; now he was stirred up from the depths. Her earlier alarm was dissipated now that excitement had sent the blood punsp- ing into his cheeks and given surety to his poise and balance. He was rather worn ’. than exhausted. “T'll go now,” she said, “and let you sleep. Mr. Garth has asked me to stay at his house. I’m going to watch him with a sharp eye, Hal. as_you say, he’s worth knowing.” He would have followed her down to the, front door, but she waved him back, and he heard her heels tapping lightly down the stairs. _ CHAPTER XXV. GOLDEN SILENCE. ARTH’S hours at the dam this night were cut sbort, for ‘after Margaret - left, his brain refused to function. _ Finally he hurried into his clothes and Digitized ity Google Now he was a force, for good or If he’s a tithe as great ARGOSY-ALLSTORY .WEEKLY. went back to La Blanca; he mast prepare his mother for the arrival of Margaret. He found her in her own room in a dressing-gown, finishing the reading of her ‘Chapter in the Bible, which always closed the day’s duties with her. Indeed, lift was simply a- compound of duties to Mrs. Garth. It was never what she wished, but what she ought to do that governed her actions. He went*to her, raised her face between his big hands, and kissed her with- ered, patient forebead. . | Mother!” he cried, stepping back from her, “ what do you think has happened?” There was just a fficker of emotion in her face, like the play of light across the ceiling when the headlights of an automo- bile flash past the window. “It ain’t hard to guess, Eddie,” she said. “ The girl has come?” “ Now, how in the~world did you guess that?” . “Well, you got a kind of foolish hook, Ed,” she answered, a little dryly. He laughed boisterously. *“‘She’s not only come, but she’s going to stay with us. Think of that!” he added. ** Aren’t you happy about it?” ““€omin’ here?” she repeated vaguely. ‘Why, Eddie, how in the world can I talk to a girl like that?” He did not hear her. “‘ Get into your clothes, mother. Please. Shell be here any moment; with her brother now. What room Tl we put her in? D’you think that room facing on the south —that corner room—will—” : Mrs. Garth rose. She had a way of tak- ing command of things in a crisis. ‘“ Eddie, you go down-stairs and sit down. , ‘Don’t be -worryin’ about anything. I'l take care of the room for her.” « But I want to see how—” he persisted. “Eddie,” she said sharply, “ there ain’t any call for you to help me run this house. You go down-stairs, and everything “ be all right. ” Force of habit made him obey, but he paused at the door. , “Put on one of your best dresses, will you, mother?” ‘Tl put on something good enough. Get along with you.” THE OHIO STATE UNS OLUEOORS-COm = =D)