The Argosy, October 1906 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

Nines sips ~~ Now ‘all nonsense,” argued, “Mr. Standard is all right. He isn’t a bit grouchy like his brother. ‘He’s full of fun—everybody knows that. And my mother is in town to-day and won't be home till dinner-time, so I’m safe enough. “But how about your riding-habit? ” “Don’t let a little thing like that worry you. clever? ride in the park; it was such a nice - morning that I couldn’t resist taking a Tun into the country with you. you see?” “Yes, I think I see,” said Mr. Pane ford, a slow smile spreading itself over \ i his ae: big porte-cochere, and Langford jumped et and held out his hand to his fair | ‘ cousin.’ : = ~The door opie at that moment and Mr. Standard himself came out, demo- cratically, to meet his secretary. surprise when he happened to asp the - Princess’ s eye. : She was favoring him’ with a wink similar to the one she had bestowed upon Thomas. Mr. Standard was reasonably quick and he forgot to whistle, and - Langford stepped gaily in where the angels fear to tread. “Good morning,” he began blithely. oT: Standard, bringing my this morning, fetes a little run—into I took the ey of =the country, you know. She was going riding, but—but I insisted.” The Princess nearly burst with laugh- ter, and the King just put out his hand and said : ford! What’s her name?” Langford was stung into silence by the unexpected levity of his employer, but the Princess filled the gap by say- ing prettily, = My name is Mary Mur- Tay, sus. = And the King said : z — glad to _know you.” He ae them into the library and | when. Mary Murray offered modestly to withdraw while they _ transacted their _ business, Mr. Standard would have none — of. it, but i insisted that ‘she must sit t where or ens she — Aren’t you even a little bit — You met me as I was going to Pont At. sight of his daughter he pursed up his _lips and was about to emit a whistle of enjoy himself showing his “Your cousin’s a bird, Lang- = oe = — ~ ——— = ——" - -—< ee — Se a a W——- ~- they must - both stave lunch, all of ee was very gratifying to the Princess, and a very puzzling to the secretary. = Mr. Langford went through his labors — that morning as one in a dream. the image of a wilful young creature ii te: riding-habit, who used slang, aid was almost too familiar witha man who = demanded all kinds of Respect aces the average person. , Uppermost in his mind, however, was — the knowledge that he was deceiving =33 Mr. Standard. A hundred times it was on the tip of his tongue to tell the truth, but the blue eyes were constantly warn- ee him, and man has ever been a slave As he spoke they drew up emidee the to such eyes as those. At lunch they sat opposite to aon other, with the King between them, and © the Princess sighed and couldn’t eat be-_ cause she was in love, and so did the secretary. But the- King’s appetite was ‘unimpaired’ and fortunately, for—well, Luncheon _ over, Mr. to stay about as long as he pleased and ‘cousin ’ the place. So they strolled out on the terraces -and fed the peacocks, and she told him play of being — all about her childhood’s a princess and living in a castle just like this. “Only,” she said, ‘a truly princess _ is so lonely, isn’t she? And don’ you think that even a princess who lived in such a place as this might be ional z too?” “IT think a might,” he asker gravely. “I’ve heard that Mr. Stand-_ ard’ has a daugh.er. They say the mother is very strict with her; they are afraid of fortune-hunters or thing like that. princess, like . yourself, for while he was clever in most things, he didn’t see — what was going on under his very nose. The Princess fitted-into her surround- ings beautifully, and while the handsome — young secretary dared to dream, he be- — gan to wish that he, too, was rich and — could provide such an exquisite setting somebody who would have _golden- “brown “hair and blue eyes, and : ‘look so well in a riding-coat. : Standard dis- missed his secretary with the invitation _ Soime=~ ee But any dear little — instance, a All = . the while there whirled through his brain = : ws — ae aS =~ - = <1 Sn < es _ —