The Argosy, Vol. 83 No. 1 — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

HAMPTON OF “T am afraid,” he said calmly, “that you and I are both too high-strung to get alorg well together.- Some call me phlegmatic, but they do not know me. I once thought that you were almost saturnine, but it seems that I did not know you. ‘The ‘live wires’ in this world will not bear crossing, you see; there’s a ‘short circuit’ at once, and a ‘blow-out.’ But seriously, Hampton, I’m genuinely glad to hear you say that you don’t regard me as an enemy!” Hampton bowed slightly, visibly em- barrassed by the other’s display of such uncharacteristic emotion. “We need friends,” Delroy continued; “more than anything else, I should say. And if we are so unhappily constituted that we are’ denied friendships, we must at least avoid having enemies. The middle course is quite bad enough for a man who is not an ogre.” Jerry was speculating upon how long this introspective mood was likely to last, when the absolute stillness within and without the house was intruded upon by the stertorous respiration of a motor-car. The sound ceased abruptly, giving place to the clanking of gears and brakes, and that was followed by a low murmur of voices. Delroy got up quickly and drew the portiéres together at the library door. “My daughter!” he explained casually. “She has been at the theatre this evening, down-town.”’ The outer door opened and closed, and the two men in the library were silent, waiting for the young girl to go up-stairs and out of earshot. It was directly apparent, however, that she had an escort. Jerry could hear her clear, nicely enunciated tones, lowered to a murmur, and with them the subdued voice of a man, guttural and apparently slovenly in diction. Delroy indicated with a gesture that si- lence should be maintained until the con- versation in the hall ended, and Jerry ac- quiesced, but the older man leaned for- ward in his chair and frowned vexatiously as the unseen escort raised his voice in idle THE HEIGHTS. 25 pleasantries and banter, and seemed in no hurry to take his leave. Eugenia’s voice, however, remained sub- dued, and it was evident that she was gently urging the man to go. All at once there was a chortling, throaty laugh from the man, a shuffling of feet, and unmistakable sounds of a slight scuffle. It ceased as abruptly as it had begun, but it was followed by the girl’s voice, low but determined. “I asked you to go,” she said, “and now you shall go! You are rude and—intoler- able!” “Oh, come now!” exclaimed the man jovially, and for the first time Jerry rec- ognized signs of intoxication in the voice. Delroy flushed darkly and was out of his chair and at the curtains in a flash. ““Kugenia!”’ he said tensely, “it’s very late. Please go to your room.” The man was evidently not embar- rassed. “Hello!” he cried heartily; “didn’t know you were still up, Delroy. Say! I thought we’d had a pretty good sort of a time down-town—show, supper ’n’ every- thing, but Eugenia’s as cross as a bear. Taint right, is it, Delroy? Good night, Eugenia!” he added, as Jerry heard the girl going up the stairs, but she did not answer. “T told you,” said Delroy, standing be- tween the curtains, “not to take Eugenia to a restaurant. It’s indiscreet enough for her to be seen at the theater unchap- eroned, though the custom is not strictly observed nowadays. I said, you remem- ber, that if you must have supper, it could be served here on your return.” “Oh, now I say, Delroy!” protested the man, with heavy good humor, “‘you lay it on a bit thick, you know! I nev’ know whether you’re joshing or serious.” He launched himself at Delroy, evident- ly with the intention of giving him a friendly embrace, but he miscalculated the direction and fairly tumbled through the curtains into the room. Jerry sprang up instinctively and caught (E00) HOOKS mie (E©)