Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

356 sight of whom Geraldine gave a faint cry that was echoed by another from Mrs. Moffatt. ‘Uncle Norman!” The girl ran to him, instinctively put- ting out her arms, but they were never clasped around his neck. The call of kin- ship born suddenly, died as she came close to him, for there was something in his face, well remembered as it was, that brought ‘a barrier between them. He was her father’s brother and of her own blood, but she shrunk from him—the years that lay between held phases that separated them eternally. Her arms fell to her sides; she looked at him piteously, wondering what had chilled the welcome on her lips. Norman Hoyt did not notice the repul- sion of her attitude. Hts deep set eves were busy taking in the room, its occu- pants and the changes brought about since the had seen it last. His nervous gaze moved from window to door as though expecting an_ interruption; his thoughts were upon other things, and he was not the sort of man to whom a wom- an’s favor is of moment. The greetings of the two old family servants held his attention for a moment and then his mind turned to the girl whose attitude of stunned astonishment had not changed. He assumed a hearty air, which was denied hy his shifting eyes, and attempted to take her hand, which she refused him. “What!” He pretended surprise, and finally she gave him her hand, but it was cold and limp, without response. He had removed the glove from his left hand, and they exchanged an awkward greeting. “What! You don’t seem overjoyed to see me, my dear! It is only by a lucky chance that I learned of your being here. What possessed you to do such a thing? When I was told that you were here, liv- ing within a few miles of where I am stay- ing, | was amazed. The word is hardly strong enough. I was shocked. TIT could not wait for the storm to pass, but came to you at once. Well, what have vou to say tu’me?” She looked at him helplessly; his words conveyed no definite meaning to her, but thev had the effect of a disastrous puff ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. of wind that suddenly demolishes a care- fully built house of cards. All at once she knew that she was going to hear something that would strike her to the heart—the intangible intelligence that all along had lain just outside her reach. But what this was to her mind could not be gaged. She tooked from the man to the girl who had brought him here and anger rose to a swift flame as she realized that Little Britches knew this secret, had known it all along and would be a witness to her humiliation. The two measured each other with cold defiance, and Geral- dine threw up her head proudly, ready to take the blow. whatever it was, without flinching. “Why shouldn’t I be here?” she re- turned. ‘It is your house, and to whom should I come if not to vou?” Hoyt’s dark face heavy with lines of dissipation deepened into an angry scowl; he hesitated as though the admission was a bitter one to make, but when it came it was sweeping in its humiliation for the . girl, “ Because this is not my house,’ he said harshly. ‘You are living in the home of a stranger—-you vourself are a stranger on his bounty. The story is all over the county. You have given people the right to say what they please of you, and there is mighty little 1 can do to defend you. It’s too fantastic to claim that you never suspected this. If you---or your friends had made the slightest effort to communi- cate with me vou could have reached me—-” Geraldine was as white as death. “Not your house,” she repeated in a whisper. ‘ But he said-- -he said-—”’ ‘““T suppose he lied to you,” Hoyt ad- mitted grudgingly. “I didn’t know even a woman could be fool enough to believe such a story. But that will do to talk over another time. has a reckoning coming with me. The question is, what’s to be done with you?” During this brief controversy Little Britches stood just within the door. There was a detached air about her as though | she disdained a part in the argument; al- though the atmosphere jzas)fseezing ay dere Your Billie Stranger : 4