Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 13, 1923 — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

Within that unfortunate gentleman, the Bere very soul seemed to be shriveling and cring- a ing. Some humiliations a man can endure, but to be the bone at which two beautiful -- young women are quite openly tugging sur- : Sewn every other one! _ Althea, if—if you'll just sit here and let me speak to her—” Mr, Harley said == hoarsely. = = _ “ Why, yes, speak to her by all means!” - ‘Althea laughed, audibly and _frivolously, Speak gently; she may be saving our lives = broken bridge ahead or something like that. If she’s not, you might quote the =e 2 Migkway law, Jack, dear.” ~ S Mr, Harley trudged swiftly ahead. Mil- dred, quite strong in her consciousness of a - right and justice, was awaiting him with ving bosom. “J thought I’d stop that ride!” she said, _ in an undertone, as he came to the side of the car, “I want you to get in here, “ Millie, I can’t do that! I—” “Yes, you can! I won’t have you riding | around with other girls like that when = - you’re engaged to me. And, especially, I -__-won’t have you riding with her, Why, that -__ ereature’s vamped every man in Ebbridge! —__- Joe Foster shot himself last year when she threw him over. Jack, you get in here with oe me!” = “Jecan't! I—’ “ You don’t love me!” Miss Ames’s lips _ trembled suddenly. _“J—yes, I do!” came strangling from _ Mr. Harley’s burning throat. = = “No, you don’t!” persisted Mildred. = “ If you did, you’d never—” cS “ Mildred, there’s a lot that I can’t ex- = plain here,” Mr. Harley said, while little beads came to his forehead, “T can’t of- fend her—just now.’ - “Has she—any hold on you?” gasped Miss Ames, and turned almost the right : color for fainting. “ Hold? -Of—of course she has no hold. ~ It’s her—er—father—business—”’ “J don’t see why you have to go joy- 3 a eis with fer to do business with her Eee « No, naturally; and that’s what I can’t ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, ‘Why can’t you?’”’ Miss Ames persisted. ““ Be — be — because it would take too long. Isn’t that enough—dear?” “No, it’s not!” Mildred retorted. ‘I don’t think it’s a bit nice of you to have that sort of business, And I don’t see why you let her look at you as she was looking, down there in town, and I don’t see why you have to look at her that way, either!” ““T wasn’t looking at her that way, Mil- lie. I—” *“ Oh, yes you were!”’ Miss Ames correct- ed. “I saw you!” And here she regarded Miss Wicks with lips compressed and nos- trils dilated. Jack, but she—I think I'll go over and scratch out her horrible black eyes and teach her a lesson!” Be it remembered that an elderly lady’s life depended upon her blissful ignorance of distressing conditions, Be it said, too, that red-hot shame of an almost unendur- able intensity gripped Mr, Harley as he did it—but with a suppressed gasp he leaned on the door of Mildred’s car and looked up at her with a soulful gaze that held every quality essential to the situation. “‘ Dearest!” he breathed. ‘ You can do me a lot of harm by being silly in just that way. You—you don’t believe in me, Mil- lie!” “T do, Jack!” said Mildred, and her gen- tle eyes filled. “And I’d die rather than hurt you. Only. I don’t see why she has to drive you—” “And that’s just what I’m going to tell you as soon as ever we have an hour alone, and you'll see how foolishly you’re acting now and we—we'll laugh about it together. Only for the present, if you'll just have a lot of faith in me and let me finish this confounded ride, I promise you that it shall never happen again!” “Surely, Jack?” Miss Ames pressed his hand. “Very surely indeed!” John said, with genuine force. One more long, hostile stare Miss Ames permitted herself in the direction of Althea, who was leaning on her wheel just then and looking bored and amused, “Tl trust you, Jack!” said Mildred, and started her engine. 6A CORMELOG “ JT don’t blame you so much, ° CON Js ~~ _— a - - - x = - — - — . . — ~ “ a nl - 4 © oe a. Sos. ae 2 ae eee — = oe? ge Oa ea 1 => Se