The Argosy, December 1905 — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

NO WAY OUT. But Hartley was obdurate; Hartley had his instructions—the name was to be withheld. Finally, however, upon Ben’s calm as- surance that it was a matter of life or death to him, Hartley yielded his duty to his friendship, and admitted it was Miss Bella Calvert who had bought the famous flower. His assistant had sold it to her that very day. Ben’s thanks inundated the whole shop. He leaped for the door and made for a telephone booth. Now, Ben, being an actor, was something of a ventrilo- quist also; so when Bella Calvert went to answer the *phone it was a voice far from Ben Stockton’s that queried: “Hello! Is this Miss Calvert? ” “Yes,” admitted Bella from her end of the wire. . “Well, this is Mr. Hartley, the florist. Miss Calvert, there has been a most unpardonable mistake made in connection with the orchid which you bought.” Bella straightened in interest and— was it hope? “ Well? ” she asked. “'The clerk,” went on Ben, with de- liberation and without a quaver in the feigned voice, “the clerk who sold you the orchid was a new man, and I was out 2 65 at the time of the transaction, as you know.” “Yes,” assented Bella. “Well, when I came in, the clerk went out to his luncheon without telling me he had sold the flower to you. Now, a gentleman came in shortly thereafter, bought it of me, and wouldn’t even trust me to deliver it. This was probably due to the fact that, when it came to the actual sale of my famous orchid, which, you know, I have almost come to love, I hesitated somewhat to let him have it at all. | “* He was probably afraid that I would repent after he had gone, and so made sure of it by taking it himself. Accord- ingly, I have been unable to rectify the error. “All I can say, Miss Calvert, is to ex- press my most profound regret, return the money, and trust you not to be too hard on me.” Bella Calvert breathed into the trans- mitter in contentment. “ Of course, ’'m much disappointed,” she said, “but I suppose it can’t be helped. Don’t return the money, but make a suitable selection of other flow- ers and send them to the same address to which I ordered the orchid to be forwarded.” NO WAY OUT. BY BERTRAM LEBHAR. A lone shark’s threat, his victim’s burst of temper, and the tragedy that supervened. CHAPTER I. A CONDITIONAL CONSENT. HAT did he say?” asked Rosa eagerly, as Arthur Ladd entered the room. “Tt’s all right. It came out much better than I dared hope. He gave his consent—conditionally,” answered Ladd,, taking a seat beside her on the sofa. “ Conditionally? And what are the conditions, Arthur? Are they very hard to fulfil 2,” she inquired. “ Well, the conditions are that I cut out horseracing, gambling, and all sorts 5 A of high living. Your father is a pretty good sort, Rosa; I’m afraid I misjudged him. He wasn’t particularly taken with my proposition, and told me with brutal frankness that he thought you were throwing yourself away on me and could do much better. However, he added, he wasn’t the kind of father to thwart his only daughter’s wishes, so he said if I could eradicate my bad habits, he’d be willing to consider me in the light of a prospective son-in-law.” “Dear old dad!” the girl exclaimed. “And of course you gave him your promise, Arthur? ” “T most certainly did. I'll never look GomiGcdooks (C@