The Argosy, Vol. 83 No. 1 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

HAMPTON OF “The great question in my mind,” re- torted the girl, with a flippancy that al- most forced a smile from Jerry, “is, how much did you hear?”’ “Go home!” ordered the father, con- trolling his rage with evident difficulty. Eugenia got up from the bench, but without undue haste. “T’m sure that Mr. Hampton needs no help from me,” she said airily, “and he may be able to express himself more freely if there is no woman present, so I’ll go.” She bowed to Jerry as formally as though there was nothing irregular about the situation, called her dog to her, and went tripping up the steep path with a pretty nonchalance that brought a darker flush to the face of the irate parent. ‘Now, what have you to say to me, sir?” demanded Delroy, coming forward a few paces. Hampton had regained his self-posses- sion. He stood with his hands in the pockets of his coat and eyed the older man reflectively. : “Why, nothing at all,” he answered quietly. “You're an impertinent puppy!” gasped Delroy. ‘You needn’t look for a scrap of, consideration from me!’” “Vou can’t very well deprive me of what I haven’t asked for, or expected from you,” returned Jerry. “I am vacating your property at once, and there is noth- ing more between us.” “There is this between us,” snapped Delroy. “I have found you conferring confidentially with my daughter, on obvi- ously intimate terms, and I forbid you to meet her again. She is a young girl, en- tirely subject to my authority, and she will be directed by me to ignore you abso- lutely in future. I do not pose as the stern, tyrannical parent, but I cannot af- ford to have my daughter on friendly terms with an eccentric, outlandish sort of a fellow like you—a comic-supplement clown, whom no one would speak of with- out smiling!” Jerry dismissed the insult with a wave of the hand. Se THE HEIGHTS. Yi “Comedy refuses to indulge in brawls with tragedy,” he said. “If you were a more agreeable companion, Mr. Delroy, I might go into a philosophical discussion with you, but I will say only that I don’t agree with the ancient standards of rela- tions between parent and child. Miss Del- roy is a free agent, and is for her to say whether she shall recognize me or ignore me. If it pleases her to speak to me again, my comedy role will not carry me so far as to tell her that I must obey your com- mand and treat her as a stranger.” He smiled ironically and gave a whim- sical shrug as he finished. Delroy realized that he was being baited and that he had laid himself open to that form of attack. “You are an insufferable cad,” he cried savagely, ‘“Have it as you will,” replied Hampton blandly. “I wouldn’t deny you the right to freedom of expression. ‘You haven’t nerve enough to resent an insult!” muttered Delroy. ‘You are wrong there!” Hampton de- clared quickly. “The point is, that I have nerve enough mot to resent certain forms of insult. You are in a distinctly abnormal mental state now, due to ungovernable temper. With that condition I have to consider your age and your free indul- gence of an utterly undisciplined mind. I might as reasonably object to a man’s sneezing when he had the influenza, you - see. On the other hand, if you come to — me, Mr. Delroy, when you are calm and — relatively in possession of yoursfaculties, and tell me that you think me an insuffer- able cad, I will show you all the active re- sentment that the case may merit.” A verbal thunderbolt trembled on Del- roy’s lips, but his rage choked him. He was silent for a moment, then he turned abruptly to walk away. “The house wreckers will be at work to- morrow morning,” he croaked huskily, without looking at Jerry again, “‘and there will- be men to begin grading the land. Your truck and all of your menagerie must be off the place to-night!” EORMICLOOOLK (C (E@)