Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

382 the comer from me.”’ But she grew serious. Her head bowed. ‘But Vm thinking about myself as much as J} am about him. We might be happy for a while, but I’ve seen girls and men who marry on the spur of the moment and go through torture afterward. What could | do with the people he knows?’’ ‘‘ You’ve handled me very well!” ‘Ah, that’s because the tiger is in you, too, Mr. Lodge! But the others would langh, and I’d want ito kill them. We're elifferent caste. But more than that, he has to be got out of the Tangle now!” Her voice grew shrill. ‘‘ Will you understand? He’s got to leave. It’s his life!” ‘‘T think you’re right. - “You do?” She sighed in her relief. ‘T thought you looked at it as a joke—~a vame, Then send for him before dark!” “There’s a difficulty about that. I couldn’t make him come.” Her eves opened. “ Aren’t you his father?” ‘Tf he obeved me in this him.” She could only stare at him. ‘But there’s no danger of that. wouldn’t obey me.” “What will you do? he done.” “ Exactly, and since I can’t do it. there remains only your mfluence.”’ ‘Mine? Mr. Lodge, I have begged him to go; he would not take a ste Pp. ‘“T am glad he is not ‘a fool. ‘How can I make him come then?” ‘Marry lnm,” said William Lodge. It brought ‘her slowly up from her chair as if she moved under the control of a hypnotist, and he rose at the same time and stepped closer. V’d disown He Something has to ARGOSY-ALLST ea WEEKLY, ‘Why do you say that?” said the girl sadly. ‘ Don’t you see he’s in one world and I’m in another?” ‘ Will you let me quote from Jack him- self? He says that women belong in only two categories: those who are ladies and those who are not. I agree with him.” She waited, wondering. ‘* And in matters of personal taste,” said he, ‘‘I have found Jack quite tmfallible.” There was sudden melting of bonds in his voice, in his eyes. “My dear girl,” he said, “ you have nothing to fear.” ‘Would it be passtble?” she whispered. He thought of his wife and his smile went out, but he answered quietly. ‘‘T have always respected Jack’s judg- ment, and the only fault I find in him is that usually there are so very few things he particularly cares to judge. Tiger skins, and the heads of jaguars, and so forth; but now that he has a human interest m life I hope to see him go on to do fine and sig- nificant things, with your help.” ‘“Mr. Lodge,” she said with a sudden timidity, ‘‘do you know that you’re just like the Tiger?”’ ‘“There was a time,” he answered with a touch of grim meaning, ‘‘ when a good many people thought $0.” ‘‘ And you’ve made me so happy that | have to go away and think about it.” “TH call the car for you and run you down-town.” “Thank you. 1’d rather go alone.” He took her to the door past the aston- ished face of the dignitary of the bald ‘head, and when he was alone he walked back to his study slowly, and stopped in the very midst of a stride. ‘““ How the devil,” said he, “ did he ever do it!” (To be concluded NEXT WEEK.) u U A MARINER OVE is a sea that has no chart; Remote and veiled the haven lies: Yet am I ever high of heart, Led by the pharos of Love's eyes! SOMmMenooles CO