The Argosy, October 1906 — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

ae ae to smile a little at the recollection of his | — — ~ = ~< “ nS - ee cousIN ALM IRA’S. in recounting his éxpetiences, mentioned = any further untimely levity, and the nurse disappeared into the bedroom with — ing the astonished man by the arm with oe My See cid cousin will have a good a Soret good as it stands.” See, We e ve had a lovely time. Everything ed ee = 4 BABY. whee stood et nurse, , conspicuous i in. her uniform. “That?” replied Mr. Scales, Spite a sickly smile. — “‘ Oh, nurse. The baby- He got no ee With a wld scream Mrs. Trenter thrust him violently — aside and rushed. madly up the stairs. The nurse, manifestation, fled precipitately, and Mr. the incident of the feeding-bottle. A brief but trying cross-examination fol-. lowed, the nurse, whose temper-was some- what ruffled, commenting unsparingly on what she called Mr. Scales’ s criminal recklessness. a It's a wonder you didn’t kill the child,” she said sternly. = = He wanted to at one time,” inter- posed Mr. Butterworth. “ ‘He was going to leave it on a door-step.” met the eeu mother on the land- A frosty glance effectually checked ing. : her charge, which, to the intense surprise both hands and shaking him in her agi- of the-two men, had become almost in- tation. “Tell me the worst. stantaneously quiescent. bear it.” : : Under the Soothing — influence — ‘of “The worst?” echoed Mr. Butter- - tobacco, Mr. Scales regained something of his former spirits, and was even able what you are talking about?” My child!” wailed Mrs. “Oh, doctor! — not keep a mother in sree he’s not dying.” : SS _ “ He’s all right as far as I kx ow,” Mr. 3 “Butterworth ‘teplied bruskly. asleep, I should imagine, because he’ s not crying. And I’m not a doctor. I’m- Mrs. Trenter did not wait for him to complete the sentence, but dash into her bedroom, where Mr. heard her in excited eolloquy with the nurse. — _ troubles. Trenter. “The joke is certainly o on me, 2 ” he She laugh.” — “ And ce Tebpt” murmured the other half inaudibly. A faint, unconscious. grin” hedorea about his- lips, and in his eyes was the abstracted look of one eDe ues in com- spain. : eee “Mr. Scales looked at— him angrily. Se _ “ T-suppose- you think you are going to make a a Soy on of this,’ ane eee “Mr. ‘what it all means?’’ demanded Mrs. Bs he dccan t Ss much in- It’s se AS funny as I can,” - Butterworth. vention though—that’ s one gos husband to his friend, both of whom Then Mr. Scales Bae out, but it was- of a ‘not until he had exhausted all his powers of persuasion, invective, and menace, that hhe succeeded in extorting a Teluctant pr omise of silence. Mr. Butterworth, ‘disappointed of the recital by laboriously playful interrup- “pleasure which he had promised himself, . tions. His efforts, however, met with in- and annoyed at his friend’s unreasonable different success, and warned by the ex- - sensitiveness, waxed. monosyllabic, and _ pression of the listener that the domestic conversation — anguished, until a sharp ring at the door-bell announced the re-— _ turn of the ladies. - Hen “ Well, - George,” said: ‘Mrs. couple of truant “Come, George, I’m waiting.” Mr. Scales hurriedly reeled off the events of the evening, while Mr. Butter- to express surprise at the lateness of the hour, and effect.a hasty retreat. : And I told you what would happen if you had that baby here,” Mr. Scales Scales ‘as. her husband admitted them. Who's that?” that’ s a trained — startled by this sudden — Butterworth, hurrying out of the study, “Tell me the worst,’”’ she cried, seiz- I tar == worth, startled out of his usual aplomb. : = The worst about what? I don’t know If you have a heart do ~ Tell me “He’s ” Butterworth _ “And now will you please tell me Scales magisterially, glancing from her stood before her with the abashed mien _ schoolboys. worth occasionally tried to lighten the barometer was falling fast, he took ad- =. —~ vantage of the striking af the clock = concluded, with an attempt to assert him- — ? 4 ai 04 oe hh itt a t is A iri 4 nay ie iy } att ane Y fi eat te ve, BA as x : rae it of F * ) Wie. i yt. } oa ae ee ee eo ae = ‘She Pointed to the head of the stairs, self. “It’s your fault. I never ape in. =3