Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

A416 ‘“\ fallen foul of a fate as deplorable as the monarch of Sicily, then and there, had it not been for the entrance of Vivian’s mother, registering bewilderment. “Vivian, I cannot find Norman’s photo anywhere! What can have become of it?” ‘Why, mother, it was on the mantel night before last!” ‘* Are you sure, dear?” “ Rather. called to see me.” If angleworms were not so cold-blooded, Jimmy Stuart might have been said to chill. This time he was emphatically not fey. Something more noxious, and very much as if he had been King Robert, caught by a faithless subject with his royal dagger in the wrong place, while an assassin’s poignard struck for his own wormy heart. Mention of the name of Burns re- minded Jimmy again of the lines: ‘“ Fhe best laid schemes o’ mice and men gang aft agley.” But that was Bobby Burns. Who was this other Burns who had called on Vivian and why did he call? Mr. Tredway stirred, uneasily. Jimmy patted his knees as the marshal rose. ‘‘ Well,” said Tom, “I guess I'll be getting back.” Jimmy rose as well. He wanted to get away befare he had to gaze on Norman Baldwin’s photographic counterfeit. Vivian came to the rescue of the ameni- ties. ‘‘ Mother, Mr. Tredway was passing and came up on the porch for a moment.” “Oh!” Mrs. Baldwin fluttered over. ‘‘ Why, how do you do, Mr. Tredway? Par- don my oversight—I was a little distrait over not finding my son’s picture. I sup- pose it’s misiaid.” “TY think,” said Jimmy, after a decent interval, “‘ that I’ll keep Mr. Tredway com- pany back as far as my hotel. win, I believe it is not good form to com- pliment one to whom you’ve not been for- mally introduced. “‘ Therefore, I must ask you to assure your daughter that the Olympian gods, themselves, never spent an evening in a theater named after them, listening to music written especially for them, and were then privileged to meet with others of their own circle and drink nectar. Much less a It was the night Mr. Burns Mrs. Bald- . w “_ ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. salesman—who hasn’t sold a thing all day.” A long, but needful speech, to square a round but robust angleworm. Mrs. Baldwirf forgot her son’s missing picture. If the metaphor seemed a trifle sopho- moric, it was no less sweet to her ears; while the subtle appeal to breeding- was evidence that even a salesman may be a gentleman. Mrs. Baldwin thought so. Being a lady, she didn’t say so in so many words. In- stead, her farewell was in such good form that Jimmy, for the first time, nearly col- lapsed. The mother of that scoundrel who called himself Norman Baldwin! It was incredibly more stupefying than sight of the sinister shoes behind the world’s best literature. \ Mrs. Baldwin retired, mercifully, after making her adieus. Vivian walked over toward Jimmy, and, under pretense of her farewell whispered: ‘Tt was nice of you to be so magnanimous and laugh it off. Mother’s physician has warned us all against any shocks to her. Her heart, you: know—” This time the insistent ring of the tele- phone bell just inside the door saved Jimmy from the same ailment—in a doubly more acute form. “One moment,” whispered Vivian, dart- ing within the house. “Hooked again!” mentally moaned Jimmy, resuming his seat. He cqulid not flee, after her two words, without turning “good form ” into King Robert of Sicily— as exhibited in Coalport—where they also *““ screened ” coal as well as pictures, judg- ing by the color of Marshal Tom’s top- piece. CHAPTER XIII. ; “ OPEN-SESAME.” S Vivian called: “ Marshal Tom, some one wants to speak to you,” and as the marshal went in, Jimmy, for a instant, fum- bled with his sleeve, as if the wrinkles that the gun had made needed smoothing out. And as Vivian emerged and came back toward him, he knew that whatever he had clOOOKS Co Co mM