Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 2 — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

- mints! 316 He sprang hastily into the doorway at his right. “Here, you little shrimp! What’s the idee?” Gustave turned around. He had collided with a tall man, evidently engaged in locking the front door of some kind of a shop, who glared belligerently. Gustave did not answer. Poking his head out care- fully, he saw that Petunia was bearing down upon him, swinging those infernal pepper- face to face— ‘Let me in!” He turned frantically. “T wish to buy—” ‘“ Not a chance!” returned the man with a growl. ‘* What do you think this is—an all night restaurant? The place is closed!”’ Petunia was comygg closer. He could hear her firm step, distinctly audible above the noise of traffic. “ But—oh, nom du chien! I wish to purchase!”’ cried Gustave imploringly. The man shook his head. ‘ Quick! I buy!— oh, mon Dieu! eet is death and life!” The man stared, then inserting the key in the lock, swung the door open. Gustave ' pushed madly past him into the gloom of the store, just as a tall form tripped mod- estly past the lighted entrance. Gustave leaned against the counter. He was saved! “Well, what'll you have?” growled the man, switching on a light overhead. ‘‘ Don’t be all day. I ain’t spending my life on this ~ job.” ‘ Gustave stared bewilderedly at him. What will he have? The man fixed him with a hard black eye. Suddenly, Gustave noted the clock above his head. _He paled. Twenty-five minutes after eight! “Great heavens!” he gasped. the correct—hour?”’ “Sure. Now never mind the time. You’re catching no train.” The man leaned over the counter. ‘‘ What are you going to buy?” 3 Buy! Of course. He had mentioned— But the hour—she would be waiting! How could time have elapsed so quickly. Graves had said— The man continued to stare, thrusting out a firm jaw. | “T buy,” Gustave said, hurriedly—but what? It was clear he should have to take something. S566) Pat In another minute they would be~ ‘rections from his advancing pace. Suddenly a bright thought — THE ARGOSY. struck him. Of course—a present for her. It was a splendid idea. She would thus par- don the lateness of his arrival. ‘““ Give me a bracelet!’’ he announced en- thusiastically, ‘““An adornment—something for a lady!” ‘Look here, you tryin’ to kid me?” growled the man, irascibly. ‘“ This is a hardware store!” ‘T take a dog collar,” returned Gustave weakly. The time—he must hurry! ‘Well, that’s better,” said the man, thrusting his hand inside a glass case. ‘What size do you wear—I mean your dog?” “ T have none.”’ “What?” ‘I buy the dog to-morrow. To-night I fit heem to the neck,”’ Gustave cried. ‘‘ Please hurry!” The man selected one from the case. ‘“Twelve-fifty,” he said evenly, wrapping it up. “I give you the best one in the store.” Gustave drew out the money and started for the door. ‘““ Hey, what'll I do with this?” called the man, holding out the package he had fin- ished wrapping. _ ‘“ Keep—I call—to-morrow!” came the trailing voice of Gustave as he dashed out the door and down the street in the direction of her home. She would be weeping, per- haps, thinking him false! As he ran, he saw before him her reproving face, her big, blue eyes— A group of children playing at a corner howled and screamed as they fell in all di- Cries of ‘“ Stop’ —‘‘Police” reached him dimly, as from a great distance. A twinge of rheu- matism tweaked his knee. It always came: on him when he went too fast; but no mat- ter. Nothing mattered but her golden hair, her pink, dawn-flushed cheeks— He panted up the steps of her dwelling, and rang the bell. A man came to the door. ‘‘ Tell Mees Green that I am here,” com- manded Gustave, wiping the perspiration from his forehead. ‘She ain’t home,” the man replied. ‘““ Ain’t—?” stammered Gustave, in as- tonishment. .OO (6@