Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

JERRY THE SPIRITED. From-Manners’s talk he judged he was sitting just inside the front door to the left. The light from the snow outside broke the darkness of the interior of the place a little and Jerry’s guess was confirmed when™he saw the dim figure of a Man sit- ting over there. He pointed his gun at Manners. “Manners,” he said coldly, “I’ve got you covered. If there is a whisper of sound from your direction, I'll shoot you dead., Mamie, dear, come here.” Mamie ran to him, being careful not to get between him and Manners. Jerry put his arm about her and held her to him. Then he remembered what he had to tell her. A shiver ran through him. It was a terrible thing to have to pat the girl he cared so much for. “ Here’s a match, Mamie,” he said husk- ily. ‘“ See if there’s a lamp in the place.” Mamie struck a match and found a hang- ing lantern. She shook it and there was a liquid sound from the oil-container. pushed back the globe and put the match to the wick. A poor light flowed through the room. — “Get up, Manners,” Jerry said. “I know what this is all about. I listened to what you had to say to Miss McBride. It ain’t no sin to eavesdrop on the likes of you.” Manners, trembling, got to his feet. Jerry searched him and found a revolver. He put it into his own pocket. Then he turned to Mamie. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked down into her eyes. Jerry Donovan had never known grief before. He had lost his other father and his mother when he was young, and he had scrambled up to manhood as best he could by his own ef- forts. “He had lived honestly and as decent- ly as the majority of men of his day. But sorrow had passed him by. His*heart was full of it now, however, for he was so gen- erous where Mamie was concerned that he accepted her suffering as his own. The girl divined that something was wrong. For many weeks she had known that her mother was very ill. Lately she had known that her mother must soon die. The doctor had frankly told her that Mrs. She | 307 McBride’s-heart had become a feeble en- gine. Her quick mind leaped to a true conclu- sion. Her lips quivered'for a moment, but she bravely steadied them and tears that glistened in her eyes did not fall. “Is it about my mother, Jerry?” she | whispered. Jerry nodded miserably and his arms slipped down and encircled her. “What?” Mamie whispered again. ‘““My poor little girl,” Jerry breathed, and in that moment he came to the high eminence of clean manhood. ‘“ She’s dead!”’ Mamie said. ‘‘ Oh, Jerry.” She clung to him and her cheeks were wet with tears she could no longer fight back. For a while she had to abandon her- self to her grief and to her regret that her mother had died when she was not there. But in the end, through her own strength and through the strength she borrowed from the man who loved her, she became calm. “T want to go home, Jerry,” she said. “But first I want you to deal with this man.” Manners, standing back in the corner,® had not gathered the purport of their low words. As Mamie and Jerry turned to him, he glared at Jerry. “You get out of here, Donovan, and leave us be,” he growled. ‘“ You’re only makin’ trouble for this girl by, the way you're actin’. You can’t do nothin’. You can’t do nothin’, most especially if you care anything about her. come back.” “No,” said Jerry evenly, “I’ll not get out. You’ve got to answer to me, Man- ners, or whatever your true name is. We’re comin’ to the end of all this business to- night. I’m goin’ to take Mamie home an’ I’m goin’ to take you with me. I'll hand you over to some frends of mine till later on. Then we'll see.’ Manners’s lips drew back from his teeth in a sneering smile. He looked at the girl malevolently. “Ts that right?” he asked. “ That’s right,” Mamie said. Complete astonishment left Manners’s face blank. He tried to speak, but no words came. - Go NOOK You get out an’ don’t \ \ \ COM