The Argosy, August 1914 — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

130 Roland laughingly blew smoke-rings. “Bor the one hundred and tenth time, professor,” he said, “ who and what are your” Copernicus contemplated his foot, shod in a half -black, half -tan shoe, with a rich design worked into the leather and surmounted by a magnifi- cent bow. - “To change the subject,” he ob- served quietly, ‘ how beautiful the ap-. proach is to Hamburg — so alive, so absorbing, so expressive of this stormy present-day life of ours.” Roland laughed aloud. “No use, I see, professor.” ‘““None whatever. The German sky —how blue—like Gretchen’s eyes. Ever read ‘ Faust’? ” ce No.”’ “Do! Highly satisfactory piece of work. And, by the way, what is the next step im your eccentric venge- ance? ”’ “ Search me!” Copernicus crossed his legs and transferred his attention to his other foot. “T am glad that you don’t know,” he went on. “If there’s one thing I hate in this world it is premeditation. It has ruined many a plan. What I like best about you is your lack of it.” “Thanks! T’ll tell you this much— I wireless’d to Miss Claire Grelthorpe’s bankers here, asking’ her exact where- abouts—you know her father said he thought she was in Copenhagen. They answered that she and a friend, a Miss Lithgow, had gone to Elsinore, which is a short way from Copenhagen, to spend a week sketching Hamlet's cas- tle, Hamlet’s grave, and other Hamlet articles which, they tell me, infest El- sinore.”’ ; “ So we are bound thither? ” “ Exactly—and I more than suspect that we'll meet an acquaintance of yours there, professor.” “The same being—”’ “Lord Lastermere.”’ “T suppose so. After what old Dave Grelthorpe offered him, heH THE ARGOSY. probably lose no time in wooing the fair millionairess? Going to try your hand at it?” = GEeaurie: “Perhaps I will, too. No telling what [ can do if I once get the Lotha- rio fever. Many years ago in Ceylon a lovely maid, overcome by furious ad- miration for me, said: ‘ Arbuth- “O-ho! So your name is Arbuth- not?”’ “Did I say that? Strange! I meant Dalhousie—funny what tricks the hu- man tongue will play. She said: ‘ Dal- housie, I love you.’ I said: ‘ Trin- comalee, I love you.’ “Then, just as we were about to plight our troth, a cyclone sprang up and separated us forever. It blew her southeast, me northwest. At the mem- ory I invariably sigh thrice. Look— yonder is Hamburg!” Hamburg indeed it was, many- spired, throbbing with activity. Roland and his resplendent compan- ion, having been despatched by the German customs officials, ascertained that there was an express for the Dan- ish capital in an hour and hastened to the central station. Just as they had found places in a first-class compart- ment and the whistle of the engine had tooted, signifying that it was impa- tient to be on its way, a dapper young man dashed along the platform, fol- lowed by a porter carrying two suit- cases. The dapper young man hurled him- self into a compartment next that oc- cupied by Roland and his friend. The porter tumbled the suit-cases in after him. On them, in large letters, Roland read the words: “ Lord Lastermere.”’ To pay the porter the young man leaned from the window. Roland took a long look at his face. ‘Then he whis- tled softly: “Well, well!’ he muttered. “ This is going to be easier than I expected.” Arrived at Copenhagen, Roland sur- prised his traveling companion by showing no special eagerness to pur- COmmiclboooks (C@