The Argosy, August 1914 — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

114 strangely on the waltz melody being played by the Hungarian musicians, he said: “ Hello, bunch. I’m drunk.” Startled, his wife looked up, and, catching sight of him, laughed nerv- ously. ‘The faces of the others ex- pressed unbounded amazement. Grelthorpe dropped heavily into a chair and, pointing a shaking finger at the musicians, shouted: “Get ’em to stop. Tell ’em—hic— to stop. Cut it out, you goulashes! Can’t you see I’m drunk?” His yoice rang through the room. Several couples stopped dancing. Two or three musicians cast astonished glances toward the speaker. “Stop that noise, you darned red monkeys! ”’ Dancing and waltz melody ceased simultaneously. ‘There was a rustle of skirts, a clatter of cups suddenly set down—otherwise dead silence. The young man leaning against the wall by the door smiled delightedly. “ David—” Mrs. Grelthorpe started to speak, but she was prevented by her husband who, leaping suddenly from his chair, lurched over to where Lord Lastermere was sitting, in open- mouthed embarrassment, and shaking his finger in the nobleman’s face, roared out, so loudly that he could be heard from one end of the room to the other: “ After my daughter, aren’t you? Want a rich American girl for a wife, don’t you? Well, there’s nothing do- ing! Go look for somebody else!” Then he staggered back, collapsed into his chair; his head dropped to one side as if he were dead. Men closed in about him and carried him hastily to a room at the back of the house. The young man by the door, still smiling, stole away. Half an hour later David Grelthorpe opened his eyes to find himself in his motor-car, seated beside his wife. She was white with anger and shame. “You drunkard!” she hissed, as she saw his consciousness returning. * THE ARGOSY. He was He seized her hand Grelthorpe sat upright. white to the lips. roughly. “Did you ever know me to touch a drop of drink? ” “Never. But you are drunk now.” “I swear to you by Heaven,” he said between clenched teeth, “that I have not touched a drop of drink to- day.” CHAPTER VY. TRAVELING EXPENSES. On returning to his hotel, Lord Lastermere was confronted in the down-stairs corridor by David Grel- thorpe. | “Lord lYastermere,’ said Grel- thorpe, “ you are a man of the world and realize perfectly well how one may be most unexpectedly overtaken by drink as I was this afternoon. It isa thing that never happened to me be- fore and never will again. Please ac- cept my apology.” “Really, now, Mr. Grelthorpe,” said the nobleman good-humoredly. “There's no need of worrying. I understand—” The other cut him short. ‘“T am a man of few words,” he said, “and Ill waste none now. I[ have something important to say to you.” He motioned the way to a couple of chairs, comparatively isolated from the rest of the people in the corridor. The two men sat down. “Lord Lastermere, let’s mince no words. I wish you to be the husband of my daughter Claire. You doubt- less know that she will be very rich on my death. That is not all.” Grelthorpe paused and the young Englishman leaned forward intently. “Lord Lastermere, if you succeed in winning my daughter’s hand I agree to give you-the sum of one million dol- lars, besides settling two million on her and arranging to leave her the bulk of my estate when I die.” ECOMMICLO® S (C@