Argosy, Vol. 111, No. 1 — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

70 Black Pete’s fawning words of apology had given her husband but a glimmering hint of what had happened. All the doctor could say was: ‘A severe shock of some sort.”” The true situation was veiled in mystifying’ darkness. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Amy opened her eyes. “It paid, didn’t it, dear?” she weakly whispered. Neil bent tenderly. “‘ What paid, sweet- heart?” he asked. — ‘“ Being—being—your side partner—”’ ‘Of course, of course,” he soothed. ‘“‘ Now try to forget everything and go to sleep, darling.” ‘“‘ Wasn’t it—funny,” the thin voice went on, unheeding, ‘that sentence should— should have—saved you—and me—” The doctor looked at Neil Beach signifi- cantly. ‘‘ Mind wandering again,” his ex- pression said plainly. Amy intercepted the look. Her forehead wrinkled into a slight frown of impatience. Then looking up into her husband’s face: “Let me tell—tell you—Neil, dear,’’ she pleaded. ‘ I found—the—the sentence—in those books—I studied—chemistry, you know—you used to tease me about—when I made up my mind—to learn—the dye product — business — with you — the sen- tence was—something—like this: ‘In the presence—of hot alkali—logwood absorbs —absorbs oxygen—and is—converted into —a dark red—coloring matter—’ ” An amused ripple of laughter interrupted the broken narrative. “TI little thought— THE ARGOSY. I would make—the test—in Black Pete’s shack—with logwood—stolen from you—or that—Paulette’s soapy water—Paulette’s his wife, you know—would be the— alkali—” Neil Beach pulled himself up sharply. He began to see light. By aid of a few skilful questions, he soon wrung the whole strange truth from Amy’s lips, At the close he merely murmured: “ Dear little side partner—” His voice was too choked to cay more. But it did not prevent him from holding her close—so close that the doctor looked on with alarm lest his young patient suffer from suffocation as well as nerve pros- tration. He started to interfere—then, be- ing a man of sense, said nothing and dis- creetly turned his back. III. By sundown the rumor had _ spread throughout the river village that Canuck Gulch was absolutely forsaken. Investiga- tion proved this to be truer than most cur- rent reports. Black Pete and his tribe had unquestionably decamped, bag and baggage. As it turned out later, they had taken the trail to a new squatting ground many miles distant, across the Canadian border. With two exceptions, they left behind no souvenirs of their undesirable sojourn in the community. One of these reminders was a sizable pile of logwood neatly and orderly arranged in the wood-yard of the Beach works. The other was a tub of blood- red clothes in the shack once occupied by Black Pete and Paulette, his wife. UNUTTERABLE WOULD not sing of thee in sluggish prose, Nor round thy virtues pulseless phrases bind, But with divinest passion unconfined, I’d fain indulge in fine poetic throes, And image all the grace thy beauty shows; For thou art such a one as fills the mind With dreams so bright, the soul is unresigned When from the sight thy witching presence goes. Thou standest there in such enchanting guise, As if by love transfixed, irresolute. I dare not come anear or speak to thee; So stay thou ever thus before mine eyes, Thou elfish maiden in a bathing suit, That—whew! that wave has knocked the poesy out of me. Anonymous. GOMIIGIOO S Cc (0)