The Argosy, September 1915 — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

282 “Will “Mmaam 2%" ‘Excuse me. I was only trying to be respectful. What do you want me to call you—Rosie?”’ Rosalind almost lost her balance. She recovered herself with a desperate grab at a branch and made a choking noise in her throat. It shamed her to know that tears were in her eyes, but she could not force them back. “ About that spy business,” he went on. “ Did you believe that?” “T see no reason to doubt it.” He mused over that for a while. “Tt’s hanging if it’s true,” he re- marked presently. ‘“T hope so!” “Hanging for me wud Schmidt. I hate to think about it.” : Rosalind could contemplate it with pleasure. “Poor old Schmidt! Fat old did anything you stop. calling me Schmidt—who never worse than buy and sell wheat on the Chicago Board of Trade! Think of hanging Schmidt as a spy!” Rosalind paid little attention to the uttered thoughts of the boatman. She was trying to concentrate on her own case. [hus far conversation had been futile while the dog and the man re- mained inexorable. She blamed herself bitterly for the panic that had driven her to an ar- boreal refuge. If only she had stopped and faced the beast all might have been saved! As she looked down upon him now she did not believe he would bite. But he had come upon her so suddenly, so clamorously, that self-possession fled from her in a flash. And now, ‘even though she lacked faith in his ferocity and remembered how insinuatingly he had nosed his muzzle into her hand back on the Witherbee place, there were other reasons. Chief of course was the sar- donic boatman. Yet she was frantically anxious to descend from her tree. To gain that she was almost willing to sacrifice everything save dignity. She was even THE ' ARGOSY. content to sue for peace—to make terms, if need be to humiliate herself before this common creature who calmly smoked and watched her dis- comfiture. “May I come down now?” she asked so sweetly that the alteration in her voice startled him. He stared at her and whistled. “ Please! ” Rosalind’s tone was liquid in its smoothness. And—she smiled! boatman dropped his pipe. “Do it again,” he said incred- ulously. What? ” “ Smile!” She did it again, this time with less obvious effort. His complete aston- _ishment helped to lighten the task. “ Great Heavens, you can do it!” “ And now may I come down?” She suited a movement to the ques- tion, but the dog growled again. The boatman recovered his composure. ‘““ Well, I don’t know about that,” he said “It depénds. You see, you’ve invaded my island and you've been prospecting around my cabin, and maybe you're fixing to get me into trouble.” “ I promise!” she exclaimed hastily. “But you’ve got me for a thief, a smuggler, and a spy, and that’s a whole lot to have on anybody.” “I’m willing to ignore the matter, then. It’s none of my business.” “Hum! That sounds fair enough, of course. But how can I tell they won't wheedle it out of you?” “Do you think I’m a child?” “T should say not!” She did not relish the emphasis nor see the need for it. “Well, am I to be released?” she asked after a pause. “Pm thinking about it. Why did you tear down my picture-gallery ? ” “Tt was an insult!” “ Not a bit, ma’am. It was justia portrait—a bully one.. Anyhow, why shouldn’t I have one? Thousands of ’em have been printed.” EORMICLOCOLKS The | (C@)