Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

634 eled, tapestried room there were men who had divorced their wives. What a simple problem theirs had been compared to his. Their wives had wronged them, but Du- ane’s .wife had been wronged. He must do something. It was demanded of him. If she had wronged him, he could divorce her, but she had not. He fancied that his clubmates were star- ing at him with a distant, primitive scorn in their eyes. The sharp laughter of men at the next table broke in upon him like a whip upon his back. He signed his lunch check shakily and then for a moment chewed at the little indelible pencil which made marks about the corners of his mouth. He left everything on the white linen un- touched and hurried aimlessly back to the lounging-room where he sank into the deep leather recesses of a chair and tried to light a cigar with his trembling fingers. From the bay window a monotone of gossip drifted to him. There were phrases which suddenly struck a chord within that jarred and others which passed him with as little response as if he had been deaf. But once a portly, white-haired man made a remark: “Do you know, it is my belief that right here in the heart of New York the same epic strains are found in some men, the same fierce heroism, as I imagine existed before history, before civilization—before Adam.” “In some men, perhaps,” a youthful, cynical voice rejoined. ‘“ But not if they’ve lived in New York long.” | ‘Ah, but you’re mistaken,” the other objected tremulously. ‘‘ In some men there are- instincts which cannot be changed by all these fine-spun fripperies of Manhat- tan. Elemental things can’t be changed.” “Perhaps they can’t be changed,” the cynical voice answered respectfully, “ but they can put on a masquerade of silk panta- loons. There are men—beasts if you wish —who can go from the cradle to the grave as a paragon of New York fashion.” ‘No, not beasts—not beasts!” the old gentlemen objected. ‘‘ Giants! Primitive men! They can wear top ‘hats, swallow tails, silk vests—but something will come along like a call and then—” ¥ ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Duane jumped up and without waiting for the old gentleman to finish he stamped across the velvet carpet with the intention of immediately returning to his home. The business engagements that afterneda dwindled into insignificance. It was his home that called him where an elemental situation was assuming life-and-death pro- portions. ‘He avoided the subway with a. distinct fear. He could not bear those screaming walls a second time. The park, through which he rode in a cab, mollified him for a brief moment. There was a wildness about the birch gnd elms which we; not discordant to his mood. But even here he realized that this little glimpse of the true earth was bounded on all four sides by mountains of buildings. Again he felt the choking conflict. The granite boulders, the scrub oaks, the shimmering lake, were all a bit of the elemental world crammed into a parallelogram of man-made bonds. “‘ If I do see him,” Duane muttered me- chanically, “‘I must not kill him. I shall see him, but I shall not—no, 1 cannot kill. him!” a, When. he walked into his apartment Ju- dith met him and knew at a-glance he had not seen Chantry. His eyes, darker and finer looking than usual because of ye slightly dilated pupils, told her that the excruciating conflict was still aflame withm aim. She ran up to him. ‘“‘Gary! Where have you been, and what have you been doing? You’ve got _Ink about your mouth, and you're worrying yourself sick! club?”’ “Tm not going to worry any longer,” he said quietly. “I’m going to see Chantry and settle it!” ‘“‘ But, Gary dear, there’s nothing to see him about. It’s all over.” She brushed back his thin lock of black hair. “ Now come and have something to eat. Then Have you had lunch at the you can go back to the office. If you go to Chantry’s I’m afraid, Gary, there might be terrible consequences — something that would change your whole life.” ‘““No, not that,” Duane said quickly. ‘I’ve thought that part of it all over. I can’t see that it would be right to kill him.”