The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 1 — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

FA Christmas T had rained steadily all day. A limousine crawled slowly along the slippery asphalt. At a cross street it came to a stop while the traffic passed. “ Rot and nonsense!” exclaimed a man hunched up in a corner of the car. The girl in the. opposite corner said nothing, but she glanced into the rain- soaked street and thought how misty and unreal the people looked—like shadows a bit darker than the general gloom. In front of the railroad station the car stopped., A porter immediately opened the door and silently and rapidly gath- ered together the suit-cases; wraps, and umbrellas. As the man jerked himself from the luxurious corner of the limousine he re- peated fiercely: “ Rot and nonsense!” The girl followed. She shook herself as if banishing the gloom enveloping them-as the storm enveloped the city. _ She turned suddenly and came back to the car. “Tt doesn’t look much like it now, but I hope you'll have a very, very merry Christmas, Willard,” she smiled encour- agingly to the chauffeur. yw 83 and the “The same to “Thank you, Miss Jackman,” fellow touched his hat. you.” ‘“ Just like Willard to get us down here hours before train-time,” grumbled the man as he followed the porter. “Two-ten, sir?” asked the porter. ‘“She’s all made up and ready to start.” “Trust Willard for getting us here at the last minute,” muttered the man, de- termined not to be pleased, as the porter led the way to the train. “Put us in a sleeper, did they?” he continued. ‘‘ Well, I won’t stand it. A sleeper in the daytime is an abomina- tion. If there isn’t a parlor-car on I’m not going a step farther.” “Oh, father!” protested the girl in sudden alarm. ““T mean it.” His tone was convinc- ing. ‘“ Get us seats in the parlor-car, or a stateroom, anything—otherwise the train goes without us.”’ “Tf you can manage it,” Miss Jack- . man raised her eyes beseechingly to the porter; make this trip.” “No chance for a stateroom, and with this big holiday crowd there ain’t much chance for anything different. But Ill see what can be done,” and the porter hurried off. (C@) “it is quite important that we TOO