Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 23, 1924 — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

214 ‘Where in blazes do you think you are going to?” he asked. ‘‘ A poker party in hell?” We quote him approximately rather than literally. “Steady on, old sporting blood!” warned Douglas Gilfillan. “ Marion Ray!” exclaimed the passenger of the touring car. It was Morley Averill himself. He stood in the road and looked up at her. “Is Cowper taken along as chaperon?” he asked. And Marion found that since the first approach of that perilous passing she had retained Douglas in a firm and not unbe- coming embrace. “No,” she said. “ For protection. You won’t let any harm come to us, will you, Cowper?” But Cowper was speechless. He would never be his old, supercilious self again. “Well ’—Morley Averill smiled his well bred smile—‘ I have no desire to be intru- sive, but perhaps you will pardon a certain curiosity. I think a certain curiosity is pardonable under the circumstances. Where were you going in such a hurry?” ‘“We were trying to catch up with an- other car,” explained Douglas Gilfillan. “Ah! And why?” “Why? Qh, yes—er—why, Marion?” Marion tried to think of a good reason. The real one, she reflected, would hardly do to give him. “ Anything the matter?” asked a cheery voice. : And Marion gasped. It was the imper- turbable voice of her enemy, the unquench- able Drayton. Sure enough, Marion’s vis- itor stepped unembarrassed into the head- lights. Morley Averill greeted him with surprise and pleasure. “Craig Rutledge!” he cried. ‘“ You’re the most welcome man in the world. If ever a mechanical genius was needed, you are in demand at this moment. Both of these cars require your services, if I’m not mistaken.” Mr. Craig Rutledge, some time mistaken at Northover House for Mr. George Dray- ton, whose flivver he had borrowed that THE ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. fateful morning in his characteristically democratic way, calmly walked about the two cars and examined their position. While he did so Marion made some men- tal adjustments. . “We'll have it out in a jiffy—both of them,” he said brightly. “ I’ve got a little car here with my latest engine in it. Most powerful motor ever perfected, if I do say it myself. Isn’t it, Miss Ray?” “ Yes, it’s powerful,” she admitted. Rutledge hesitated a moment. “I think I ought to tell you, Morley, before [ bring the car along. I happen to be taking Miss Averill for a drive in it. Miss Averill and I have come to a sort of understanding. I hope you don’t mind.” “Of course not!” cried Morley Averill heartily. “I don’t mind confessing that I rather hoped something of the sort would happen from your meeting down here. But I scarcely thought you would have the op- portunity of meeting until I arrived.” He shook Mr. Rutledge warmly by the hand. ‘IT can’t tell you how glad I am!” he ex- claimed. ‘As for us getting together,” laughed Rutledge, “ you must thank Miss Ray for that.” And he departed to bring up his car. Morley Averill gazed with admiration upon Marion Ray. ‘“*T don’t know how you did it, Marion,” he said. ‘“ But I always said you were the cleverest little person in the family.” ‘Thank you, Uncle Morley,” she smiled. “IT hope you will think I have been as clever in choosing a husband for myself as I have been in picking one for Alicia. You know Mr. Gilfillan, don’t you?” Mr. Averill politely admitted that he felt sure he had met him somewhere. “You can say what you like about your honest laboring men in Fords,” added Marion, “ but I do think we should have a touch of romance in life, don’t you?” “Tm sure you are to be trusted about that,” said her uncle vaguely. “Yes,” said she. ‘“ Douglas is my fairy prince in an oyster shell canoe. Get out, Cowper. Mr. Gilfillan and I are going for a drive.” END COMME IOOKS (C@