The Argosy, Vol. 82 No. 4 — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

606 were criticizing his condition with sharp eyes. They all walked to the waiting automo- bile, and Tom got into the rear seat with Joyce. This was Fanning’s own arrange- ment, and it cost him something to lose Joyce as a seat-mate. But he wanted to do what was best under the circumstances. ‘Where shall we go?” he asked, turning to his passengers. “We are your guests,” Joyce answered, giving him a smile that repaid him for the sacrifice he had made in having her sit with Tom. “Then, may I suggest?” “You may command, best of friends.” “Then I propose this. We will stop at the house—your house—and tell your mother that you will not be home for lunch. It is almost noon now. From your house I will telephone to mine and tell Benson . that we will have lunch there. After lunch, if the weather is kind, we will take a short trip in the Sapphire. Then we might as well make a day and a night of it, and we will get home in time to dress, have dinner at the Bronx Park Casino, and go to Fox’s Theater.” “Oh, you glorious man,” cried Joyce, while Tom contented himself with saying “Bully!” But Joyce had seen in this plan some- thing that had escaped Tom. At her home it would be Fanning who left the automo- bile to_notify Mrs. Kendry, because he wished to use the telephone. The drive to the mansion on Throggs Neck would do much to get the fumes of liquor from Tom’s brain. The lunch and the sail in the cold, salty air would do more. The return, the . bath, the change to evening clothes would put him on his feet. The evening at vaudeville would take his mind from the desire to drink, and keep him from whoever had of late become his associates. He would go home and to bed perfectly straight. And at no time would he be out of their sight, and at no time whie he showed the effect of drinking would his mother see him. To Joyce the scheme was delectable. Fanning put it at once into operation. Arriving at the house he got out and went to the door. Then before he rang the bell he returned. “Suppose,” he said, “we make it a party of four for dinner and the theater. I'll call up Kitty Delmour.” THE ARGOSY. “Oh, do! Thank you,” said Joyce. “Yes, by all means ask Kitty,” laughed Tom, who had begun to feel more like him- self. “When I get money enough I’m go- ing to ask Kitty to marry me.” Kitty Delmour was a girl a little younger than Tom, and a little older than Joyce. Of a sweet disposition and pretty, she was an addition of value to any party. Fanning went back to the door, and rang the bell. A maid answered it and Fanning disappeared inside. He was there about ‘ten minutes. Then he came out, made a sort of hurrah gesture with his right hand, jumped to his seat, touched the self-starter, ~ and they were off. “All right all around?” asked Joyce, leaning over his shoulder. “Yep, your mother is lying down with a headache, and no wonder. I left word. And Kitty accepts.” ‘And that’s no wonder,” said Joyce. “The poor girl doesn’t get much of the frivolous side of life.” Benson had the table ready and every- thing ready to put on it. It was not an elaborate luncheon but a very good one, and much cheerful chatter seasoned it. And during all this not a word had been said to Tom about the robbery. Fanning and Joyce had entered into no agreement, but the same thought had struck both, that the time to speak of that and of the peculiarity of his cuff-link being in his mother’s room, was on board the Sapphire. In the after deckhouse, warm and light and luxurious, with good cigars for Tom and Fanning, and whatever Joyce wished for herself from the yacht’s well stocked larder, away from everybody, away from the world, almost, they could talk without fear of interruption, and under such condi- tions people speak from the heart. The Sapphire was anchored off shore, north of Locust Point. At Fanning’s boat- landing there was a launch, and the three were soon on board. It did not take long to get the yacht under way, and they stood on deck until she had passed between Belden Point, on City Island, and Stepping Stone Light. By the time they had left Hart Island behind they were in the luxurious deck saloon and a small colored boy in white duck stood ready to obey commands. Fanning sent him to his own stateroom telling him what to get. He brought a box of cigars and another of very fine bonbons. Gomicaooks (C@