Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 2 — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

196 be more than ten or fifteen minutes distant at most, and— “Oh, they’ve taken it! They’ve taken it!” Margery seemed to have been say- ing faintly for some time. “Eh? Yes, they do seem to have taken it,’ George agreed. ‘Who could have done that?” “Professional automobile crooks, of course. That. whole job went too smooth- ly to be mere chance.” “And you’ve lost your beautiful car, and—”’ “That part doesn’t matter,” George said hurriedly. ‘The insurance company ‘Il present me with another, if that one isn’t recovered. The car itself doesn’t cut any particular figure; it’s what it means to us just now in getting away from here!” “Y-yes! ? “ Let’s go back!” said George. ‘““ Back where?” “To the house, of course.” “But your—your aunt is there!” “We can’t help that, Margery. It’s her house. I'll explain the thing to her.” ‘And no matter what you explain to her, she—she’ll still think that we—that I —no, I won’t go back, George!” Margery said, positively. ‘We can’t stand here in the rain all night, you know,” George said with com- mendable patience. ‘““No, but I won’t have her see me! can walk to Coulton and get .a car!” “ There isn’t any garage at Coulton. We can’t hire a car any nearer than that Ar- borvale town we went through, Margery— nine miles back. What have you got on your feet?” “Kid slippers, but—” “Well, you can’t walk nine miles through ‘a pouring rain in kid slippers—that’s a simple, physical impossibility, Margery. We'll have to go in and do the best we can with aunt, and then telephone Arborvale in a hurry. There is still a chance that we may be able to get away before Arthur and his lady friend turn up.”’ “Yes, and if we do, and you tell your aunt the truth, when they come—” “Ym not going to tell her the truth,” George said briefly. ‘‘ I'll invent a magnifi- We THE ARGOSY. cent lie that will hold water. She doesn’t know you.” ‘And if it doesn’t,” Margery said help- fully, and there was a choke in her voice, “and Arthur does tell her the truth about your wretched old party and all, then she’ll know that you and I—oh, that’s horrible, too! Ill always have that to think of! Every time I go on the street, I'll be afraid of meeting her!” George controlled himself. ‘I suppose, if we feel just like standing here in the rain all night, we can think up six or seven hundred other objections before morning,” he said caustically. ‘‘ We’re in an unfortunate little mess, and it’s my fault, and I’m trying to find the easiest and quick- est way out.” “Yes, it 7s your fault!” Margery sobbed. “Tf you hadn’t been so brilliant about trapping Arthur, we’d never—” “IT know,” George said briefly. ‘ I’m go- ing into the house now. You’d better come with me.” There was a terrified gasp beside him as he stepped out; then a slim hand caught his arm, and Margery was stumbling along at his side. “TI think you’re brutal!” she choked. “I am,” George agreed bitterly. ‘“ But I think that if you'll stop crying it may im- prove matters a little, Margery. I’m con- juring up a pretty good one for aunt and for Arthur, too, about how you and I were playing a trick on a house-party when we stopped here and had our car stolen and a lot more—and you won’t look the part of a gay little roisterer if you go in with tears streaming.’’ He paused at the veranda steps and patted her shoulder. He even laughed. ‘Don’t be silly, child,” he said quite sooth- ingly. : “I’ve got the whole yarn now, and -itll work for both of them—dead sure. Everything is all right.” “Really all right?’ Margery murmured dubiously. ‘s Absolutely ! ” said George. “All you have to do is listen and back me up and gig- gle spasmodically once or twice. I'll get it over inside of two minutes! Come.” He laughed again, loudly this time by way af announcing their arrival to Aunt €@ VOOKS ANIC (E@)