Argosy (UK), January 1955 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

~ =—=—, es * _——_ + a> =" ai = “5 “* 2 — eo Ce - . JOHAN FABRICIUS “This revelation, in its overwhelming unexpectedness, lifted _ the jadedness of his fifty years from his shoulders. He could not | _ remember ever having been so young; prudence itself as a rule, = he became, at one stroke, enterprising, audacious; the blood _ throbbed in his temples. His imagination was fired . . for, after all, it could be nowhere else but in imagination that he _ heard a native orchestra play, and saw the young woman, who _ was actually still waiting for him in the front compound, weave = ductive dancing movements, her great dark eyes on his, her smiling, luring, soft mouth so close to him that he . 3 _ The booming and twanging of the mysterious instruments _ must have merged some time Lelorei into the tinkle of the tele- _ phone—it was with a shock that he became aware of it. At first — he could not bring himself to answer it. But the telephone went on importunately ringing. Finally, he wrenched the damned thing off the hook. ; ** 'Yes—who’s there? ”’ y “Oh, have I got you at last? I was just going to ring off. This i is Janssens here. Herbert Janssens. I’ve only phoned to = say we're going to the club now. You'll be coming, of course?” = Mr. Van Houten hesitated. 7 “Well?” “To be honest, I don’t... .” “What? Of all the ...! And yesterday you promised you would! ”’ 3 * I didn’t know then that I’d have work to do—” sa — “Qh, come off it—work! Work’s a thing you can do any time. You work a damn sight too much—oddly enough, that’s _ just what we were saying to each other a few minutes ago. You - ought to get out more. It was only yesterday we realized what _ pleasant company you can be when you like! ” Of course, the mail’s brought them another admonition from _ ‘Thérése, more or less asking them whether they’re taking enough _ interest in me, thought Mr. Van Houten, suspiciously. i _ didn’t fancy the club at all. Not this evening. : “ All right, then, I'll see,’”’ he said evasively. Unfortunately, Herbert wouldn’t take that for an answer. “Oh no, my lad—none of your ‘I'll see.’ You’re coming— that’s that. We'll keep a chair free for you at our table, and if _ -you’re not there by half past nine, we’ll send a search-party for you. Understand?” _ And before the object of this peremptory invitation had time _ to say anything in reply, the receiver was hung up. __ Mr. Van Houten cursed under his breath, furious at this arrogant encroachment on his liberty. “If I go to the club it’ll be — « Os anal a = ie ~ o*y pe ~- > f a: comiclooolks. oe a>