The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 1 — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

THE GILDED TRAP. ==4e Heaven, it was Monday. Later in the week both sides would have been worn. By patient effort he managed to knot his tie so as to conceal all the thread-bare spots. Still, it was a dingy-looking thing. He rather dreaded meeting Miss Wheelock more than any other part of the ordeal before him. At last. he had attained the best that could be done with what he had. Still he had to wait a few moments in the wonderful bed-chamber, before Wheelock came in. . “You really ought to have let me go home and put on another suit,” he apologized. He could not help the bit of bluff. His only other suit he was saving from the * ragman for work with Ellen’s chickens and garden. “ Forget it,” cheerfully bade his host. Then, after a glance, he added: ‘“ Say— you don’t mind my offering it, old man? But I’ve a whole lot of mourning ties left _ over from last year—father died, you know. Wish you’d take them. They give me the blues when I see them, and I haven’t had the heart to chuck them away.” Wheelock had unbuttoned the top of his shirt to wash. Even his underwear was silk! old tie before facing his host’s daughter. Wheelock’s worn ones were vastly newer- looking than Evans’s had ever been after . the first wearing. ““Now run along down and turn to your right into the library, while I get into my duds.” Bruce ran along down. He was glad to find the library empty. Somehow every minute of waiting was making the meeting with the ladies more difficult to contemplate. Then, almost before he realized it, the worst was over. Miss Wheelock had come in, looked about the room an instant, turned as if to walk out, then turned back and walked toward him. She was arrayed in—Heaven knew what. Bruce Bruce decided to change the - only knew that it was something wonder- ful, and was quite sure that it went splendidly with her dark hair and eyes, her almost olive skin. “Oh, pardon me,” she exclaimed; “I didn’t see you. You’re Mr. Evans, aren’t you? We don’t stand on ceremonious in- troductions here. Besides—haven’t I met you before?” Bruce recalled the package he had brought up for her father. She flashed a smile of recollection upon him. “I was sure I remembered you,” she told him. And he felt deeply flattered. It appeared a bit of deference on her part that she should ask him the trite ques- tion: ‘ “How do you Manor?” “Oh, very much,” he answered. He all but choked over the words. His head was swimming again, worse than the cocktail had made it swim. That a woman like this should ask his opinion of any- thing! It surely was a novel sensation. Had he taken thought and time to try, he would have had difficulty in recalling when any one had asked his opinion. Alice had been pettish most of the time, the result of her sickness, and domineer- ing. Ellen—well, she had decided where they were to live, all right. Miss Wheelock gave him a sudden feeling that he was quite capable of deciding things if he had the chance. They chatted about the weather. That is, Miss Wheelock chatted. Bruce felt that he was giving the impression of being monosyllabic pulp. He tried to think of - something really clever to say. He braced himself to look into her face and, at least, to appear humanly intelligent. And her father came in to the rescue. Hello,” he exclaimed. ‘I see you two are getting acquainted. Phew! Jessie. You’re all togged up. Going somewhere, aren’t you?” “TI was,” Jessie replied. Evans had suddenly forgotten his em- barrassment enough to turn his eyes toward her for the reply. He could not ; COMME KOOKS 56) like White Plains im