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

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

74 have told whether he hoped he would go or not. “T don’t know,” she added hesitantly, with a demure look toward Bruce. It took him a second to realize what was required of him. “Oh, don’t go, please,” he said almost too earnestly. “T don’t teally want to,” the girl re- plied. Then to her father she explained: “Tt’s Winnie Bedford’s little féte, you know.” Her tone deprecated the affair. ‘““ Why, I thought you were quite crazy about it,”” Wheelock stated. “ But do as you like, of course. You always do, any- how.” “T don’t really feel like going,” Jessie answered. ‘I’m going to telephone over that I have a headache.” “Lucky she can’t see you,” chuckled her father. ‘“‘ You don’t look a bit like a headache.” Jessie laughed. There was something intimate in the laugh over her intended prevarication, and it took Bruce in with a twinkle of her heavy-lashed eyes. “Look out for her, Evans,” teased Wheelock. ‘ She has all the youth of the Manor dangling after her. She’s a devil with youthful hearts.” “ Daddy!” the girl pouted mirthfully, and went off to telephone. There was a more formal introduction to Mrs. Wheelock, who came in an instant later—a plump, pretty woman, for whose slight overdress Bruce was quite incompe- tent to render anything but admiration. It suddenly occurred to Evans that the use of rouge was not essentially demi- monde. Mrs. Wheelock talked rapidly, a trifle loud, in a highly animated imitation of English accent that struck Bruce as his first hearing of really refined speech. She did not remain long with them. Explaining .that she had a tiresome dinner-engagement, she begged to be ex- cused. Then she expressed her delight at knowing Bruce and the hope that they would see lots of him— “During the summer, You really THE ARGOSY. won’t find the Manor half bad in summer. In winter it is simply unbearable. I feel that it’s an imposition to ask any one to come up here in cold weather.” “Don’t forget Evans, now,” warned Wheelock. ‘“‘ He’s going to be paying- teller down at the bank.” Bruce only looked up quickly. Would wonders never cease? “Oh, it’s ever so much more important that the paying-teller should remember me,” laughed the lady. ‘ But there’s not the slightest danger of my forgetting Mr. Evans. I hope he isn’t going to give us the chance.”’ And dinner was served. Bruce declined ‘another cocktail before it; but he drank a little of the delicious wine. Between _ the wine and the hint of speedy pro- motion he got a sense of strange elation. He could have counted on his fingers and toes the glasses of beer he had drunk in his life before. With the little cup of black coffee to take the slight fog from his brain, he was prepared to acquit himself in the after-dinner conversation. Mr. Wheelock manipulated the player-piano, and Jessie insisted upon teaching Bruce one of the new dances. Then some other friends dropped in, and Jessie had to leave them. Wheelock told her to do so, since he wanted to talk a little business with Evans. ‘Yes, I think I'll be able to fix you » up with the assistant paying-teller’s job. Meyer will be going in another month or two. We'll just let you spend a little time in the cage with him and Johns each day, until’you get the run of the game.” Bruce tried to say some words of thanks. “Don’t -bother about that, old man. It’s coming to you. I haven’t realized it before. I really feel guilty about it all. You know, you’ve never stood up and yelled about yourself enough to make us notice that you were around. And, if I can, I’m going to try to help you in some other ways. I think I can. ‘Perhaps you know that more people COMMUCE JOOS (C@