Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 67: what you’re looking at

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

BEWARE OF “Do you want to go on alone now?”’ “ Tommy!” cried the bride. _ “You know the way and I’ve done all I can for you. And—er—it might be just as well for me to go back there and find Dolly and—” “-Tommy, you wouldn’t be brute enough to desert me now?” Mary breathed shakily. “ I thought you’d prefer—-” ‘Well, I wouldn’t!” Mary cried. “ I—I —didn’t mean what I said in there, Tom- my! I didn’t mean a word of it! Only don’t leave me out here alone, this way!” The iron arm was thrust through his own and clung tightly. Thomas favored the helmet with a soothing smile beyond the metal’s appreciation. “I'll stick to the finish, Mary, if you want me,” he said. ~‘ You know that. Here’s the curb. Easy! Are you down? - Fine!” | . Chauffeurs of near-by cars stared inquir- ingly at them for a moment, laughed and gave no further heed. Quaint costumes galore had been going in and out of the Thorndyke mansion this evening. A stray taxicab, given pause by Thomas’s rather wildly waving hand, slowed down with all brakes squealing and waited for the slow-moving knight to pass. But they were making progress! They were across the street now and moving into the very vestibule of the Cypria establish- ment, and the normally capable mental ma- chinery within the Thomas Henning skull .took to working again. Well, it had been a wild evening, so far! And the wild part was over. Those were the two outstanding facts. There would be consequences, of course, but since time immemorial chivalrous gen- tlemen who elected to aid distressed brides of other men have been taking them in vast quantities, and Thomas _ probably enough would stand the ordeal. There was Mary’s party-gown, for ex- ample, hidden somewhere behind the palms in the little conservatory; that would have to be looked after by bribing the Thorn- dyke servants. There was the matter of Dr. Leslie, which could be turned into a - joke, of course. But more than all there was the matter of Dolly Hayes herself, and THE BRIDE. 573 that would take some of the liveliest and the most capable -explaining Thomas had ever attempted! He would get into his armor again, as soon as little Mary was on her way, and dash back to the festivities. He would seek out Dolly and—and then? At the moment, Thomas was not pre- pared to say just what would follow. His life’s happiness was at stake; whatever fol- lowed was likely to be spectacular and tinged with mendacity, but that mattered little enough so that it was efficacious. It ‘was possible that he might totter to Dolly and give his own idea of a man whose mem-_ -ory, lost for an hour, has just returned. Again, he might— ‘ Qh! Thomas said, rousing to the affairs of the immediate moment. ‘“ Step in—er—Sam!”’ The colored boy giggled cheerfully and sleepily as Mr. Henning removed his mask and handkerchief, and took them swiftly to the still, blessed solitude of the fifth floor Airily, almost, Thomas stepped out and steered his charge from the car—and the door clattered into place again and the car descended and at last, beyond any. perad- venture, their escape was an accomplished fact. door. Before it they stopped. “‘ Saved!’ said the savior. “Yes—Tom!” issued faintly, weakly, from the helmet. ‘“‘ Brace up, girl!’’ Thomas said softly. “It’s all over now. There were a few try- ing moments, but we seem to have lived through them. I'll attend to all the minor details later.” ““ My dress!” gasped the helmet. they ever find that!”’ “They will not. Inside of ten minutes, Mary, I shall have passed a slight token of esteem to one of Thorndyke’s maids, and she'll pry the old man loose somehow and get me that gown, all wrapped up. What becomes of it then? Where does it live in ordinary times?” ‘Home in the attic, but—” Mary said, and there was a new, sharp note in her voice which did not concern the party gown. ‘“‘T’ll give a bond to have it there before “Te Yes, the elevator, cf course!” : = They. were walking to Peter’s very Original frome) DOOKS.CO (S