The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

(22 ‘ ing-room. Silence fell, and the per- fume of flowers became more notice- able. Ted saw an altar of lilies and roses in front of him. He could have given his college yell as a slight expression of the jubilant feeling which took possession of him. The year of waiting which was to in- tervene before he could marry Bess Hetherington was being docked de- lightfully. Probably his mother was the one who had brought about the change of heart in Bess’s family. He looked about for her among the guests. Then she entered the room from the opposite side. Ted grinned with unut- terable gratitude at her as he squeezed Bess’s hand against his side. But the satisfaction was short-lived. Bess withdrew her hand, and his mother took her place. Radford blinked his blue eyes, as if a sudden and somewhat disturbing idea had hit him in the face. He glanced down at his mother. She was looking even more radiantly young and like the sister of her big son than ever. It was significant that she had discarded the blue she usually wore and was dressed in a creation that baffled Ted’s mascu- line eyes, but still left an impression of its fitness to some extraordinary occa- sion. Then a strongly built and very stern- faced man appeared from somewhere and assumed the responsibilty for his mother which Ted had unconsciously fulfilled. Without realizing it, he had led her to the altar where the strange man waited. Uncertainty was over — and antici- pation. It was his mother’s marriage instead of his own. Bess had disap- peared as the guests closed in about the altar. The ceremony began. It occurred to Ted with disconcert- ing certainty that the wedding had been kept a secret from him purposely. He wondered why. Then he began to re- sent it. He and his mother were the best kind of friends. They never ob- jected to what each did when it did not interfere with the other. If it inter- women. THE ARGOSY. fered they quarreled comfortably; both decided that it really did not matter enough to make them fuss with one another, and made up pleasantly. Bess was in on this, too. He knew from the way she acted. He recalled the silence and the speed with which the strange butler exchanged his gloves for another pair with which he was provided. It all looked as if they had anticipated an outburst from him and had resolved to get him in among the guests and right up against the altar before he got his wits and breath to protest. If there was so much concern about his objecting, there must be some good reason for an objection. He heard the minister ask the always disregarded question about the reason that any one might know which would prevent the union. He felt tempted to exclaim that he knew no reason, but would like to hold up the ceremony to find one, as it must exist. But he caught sight of Bess. She had moved over to one side, in line with him. Evidently she was still on the watch for his outburst. She drew her arched, black brows down threat- eningly. Her dusky. eyes described a luminous circle over the heads of the guests. She seemed to infer that it was expected by the company that he would cut up Jack; and the frown warned him if he did he would have an ac- counting with her. Radford possessed that peculiar kind of valor which goes by the name of discretion. But he exercised it al- most exclusively in his relations to Bess could make him duck and hide, back down or brace up to anything, while a man would have had to whip him with brains or muscle to make him change —and then he might not. He was literally awed into silence while his handsome mother went on marrying a stranger. He smiled professionally as the old and intimate friends of the family crowded past him toward his mother. He gathered that they thought she had SJ CORMEOOO (E@)