Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

-_-_ —_—->_—dUhUhUCrr-llChU BEWARE OF dently and effectively, too, as if he were not quite able to believe the report of the eyes! “ Why—Bill/”’ he cried. “ Hello, Tom,” Willidm said briefty, and his voice was strangely quiet. “ Why—say, upon my word, this is a surprise!”? the tenant of the apartment add- ed joyfully, recovering from the first amaze- ment as it seemed. ‘‘ What in the world— say, I thought you were in Europe by this time?” “Not just yet,” William said, in the same low voice, as befitted an old friend, and of course, stepped in uninvited. ~ “ Yeu’re really back in Braydon?” “You see me,” William muttered, with | the faintest of smiles. “Only for a little while, though.” This time Themas actually managed to laugh his keen pleasure! What is more, he slapped William affectionately upon the ‘back when he had closed the door. “ Why, eld man, you've no idea what a shock—a joyful shock—it 6, to see you turn up like this!” William no more than nodded. He was standing in the center of the living-room now, leoking about. He was in and, ap- ' parently, he meant to stay for a while. If, for an instant of so as he opened the door, Thomas Henning had cherished a haope that inspiration would come and point the way to keeping William safely in the cor- ridor, the hope had surely died-unborn. No, Wiliam decidedly was in and— what next? A tiny sigh fluttered updh young Mr. Henning’s lips. for a moment— and then they smiled again. Presently he would learn what he was to learn; in the slightly distressing interim, it was his to act as well as might be the part of one friend entertaining another. “Well, sit down, Bill!” the cried. “ Sit down and tell us all about it! Have'a cigarette?” “ Not now, thanks,” said William, and failed to sit down. ‘‘ Did I—er—disturb you?” “Disturb me? No. I was out back. Was that you knocking all the time?” - “I knocked several times.” “JT thought it was somebody up-stairs hammering something,” grinned Thomas as @‘I should say not, Bill! THE BRIDE. he lighted a cigarette of his own.. “ You can trust that chair behind you, you know.” William’s hands went into his pockets. Fancy it may have been, but it seemed that he made another attempt to search Thomas Henning’s soul. “11 just look arent,” he said. don’t mind?” ~ “ Mind?” laughed chs comer af the place. I'm proud of everything in this little dump. Look it over!”’ “You inherited some money, didn’t , your” ‘““A dollar or two. The place looks it. Yes, I understand.- Don’t rub it in, Bil. You may be poor yourself some day.” “TI had no idea of rubbing it in,” Wil- liam said shortly. “They said that it was nearly a million?” “They did? They were todest. Some “Vou of them have said that it was nearer a - billion,” Thomas replied. , Young Mr. Emerson hummed a bar or two and gazed on. Despite the admirable self-control with which he seemed blessed just now, Thomas found himself frowning. What was it, anyway—a cross-examination? What did Bill mean by this odd, close- mouthed inspection of things in general? If he harbored unjust suspicion, why did he not come out with it like a man, even like an infuriated husband? “ Nice place, Tom!” he observed. “ Thanks. Best I could do,” smiled its owner. “You married Dolly Hayes, eh?” ““Not yet. I have some hopes.” “‘ Not yet, eh?” William’s almost monoto- nous vaice'went on, “I imagined that you were all settled down. All alone here, then ?- And just enjoying it m advance, as it were?” “You have grasped, virtually, the whole proposition, Bil,”” Thomas said, somewhat coolly. “I’m not actually even living here as yet; I’ve been sleeping here for the last three nights, because it was nearer the office, and I hope to sleep here for several more nights, for the same reason.” ‘‘T didn’t mean to seem to pry, Tom,” Wil!'am said with a little shrug; and preved > nal fro Ne} STATE | a ( r\. "| = QO) | () PIR XX U lODOOK CO