The Argosy, Vol. 83 No. 1 — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

HAMPTON OF roy,” he said solemnly. “I should find it hard to understand a man who would not sacrifice almost anything in his life for— for Miss Delroy.” The father of the lady who inspired this sudden and naive declaration of senti- ment paused in his feverish pacing and looked Jerry in the eye with fierce in- tensity. “Hampton!” he exclaimed, “I believe you mean every word of that! If you said it lightly there could never be any- thing more between us—except hate! But you are a man of high principles; I have always respected you. You are a poor man, Hampton, and a poor man is natu- rally diffident about certain things; but your future is in your own hands, and it couldn’t be in better ones. “T may be speaking wildly, for a father, but I am in a highly emotional state, as you know. A man is inclined to speak out from the heart when the conventions are in abeyance. If you love Eugenia, Hampton, as I firmly believe you do, take my advice, my boy, and don’t risk your happiness for any passing question of pride. Perhaps I have said enough.” Jerry was flushed and ill at ease. His natural impulse was to take the man at his word and frankly open his heart to him, but second thought counseled dis- cretion. “T am very grateful for some of the things you have said, Mr. Delroy,” he responded, “‘but—but I suppose we are hardly justified in saying too much under these conditions. If I were to trust myself to speak of my ambitions and hopes, it would be the lady’s right to be the first to hear me.” Delroy inclined his head solemnly. “T stand rebuked,” he said. ‘‘You have a finer-drawn delicacy of feeling than I ever had, I suppose, and I honor you and envy you for it, my boy.” Jerry said no more, and he secretly. hoped that the doting father would venture no deeper into the realms of sentiment. “By Jove!” Delroy cried suddenly, “‘vou’ve got me in such a mood that I THE HEIGHTS. 61 was forgetting that I had an enemy in the world; and it isn’t safe to overlook the two fellows we were talking about. I hate to return to the subject, but I wonder what will happen next. What is there for Exmoor to do now? I can’t think of any- thing left for him to do if Kingsale holds the cards. But—believe me—he’ll find a way out; I know the man! “T wish I could know where they are, Hampton,” he added ruefully. “I am helpless now, but if I had some knowledge of their maneuvering it would give me a sort of grasp of the situation.” “Tf wouldn’t care to tell you where Ex- moor is,” Hampton returned frankly. “TI don’t feel that I have the right to do that. But it’s different in the case of Kingsale; he has not given me any secret to keep, and I’ve no reason to feel any particular delicacy about his affairs.”’ He took Delroy’s arm and led him to a clump of rocks just above the old forti- fications, overlooking the Fort George amusement resort and Amsterdam Avenue. “T won’t point, for it might draw atten- tion to us,” he said, “but do you see an old building just to the right of that car switch—the building with the shooting gallery signs on the front?” Delroy nodded excitedly. “Tt is boarded up and apparently aban- doned,” Jerry continued, “but I believe that some one is living there, and Kingsale went there last night and remained there —at least until after midnight, for I watched for him to come out until that time.” “Argus!” exclaimed Delroy in amaze- ment. “Are you everywhere at once? Do — you see everything that happens?” “T am inclined to think,” said Jerry, ig- noring the exclamation, “that Kingsale is staying there, for he was ill and in some distress when he went there, and in such circumstances a man would be inclined to go to the place that offered him the most . secure shelter.” “Til tell you what I would like to do, Hampton,” Delroy broke in eagerly, “Td like to send Exmoor an anonymous Go 0)(0\(6) AMUG S (E©)