Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 23, 1924 — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

MYSTERY LAND. ning, and looked up. His eyes were danc- ing. “Beg pardon, you'll get down, too, of course, Channing,” he invited. Channing’s glance was steady, his eyes expressionless. ‘I reckon not,” he said shortly. have a look at your layout.” Channing rode away with the disturbing conviction that he would not be missed. Eve walked beside Warren to the porch cf the shack and stood watching Channing hitch the horses while Warren went into the shack and returned with chairs. This was the first time in her life that Eve had met a young man of Warren’s type, and she expected to find herself embar- rassed. She was amazed when she discov- ered she was talking with Warren as if she had known him for years. It was not until later, when she knew Warren better, that she realized that it had been the young man’s manner which had set her at ease. If Warren had been cool and self-pos- sessed she might have been confused, speechless. “She had half anticipated that result, had feared. But she had not been sitting in the chair an instant when she discovered that Warren was blushing. Therefore, some of her own high color receded and she smiled complacently. But she had by no means dispersed her curiosity. There were dozens of questions she wanted to ask, but she had no authority on curiosity “to consult as to the polite meth- od of putting her questions. As a matter of fact, she was not certain if it was at all proper to ask questions. The knowledge imparted to her by her mother and the things she had learned from her books had not equipped her with the sheath of refine- ment. The men she had known all her days were blunt, frank; they had not been skilled in the art of obliquemess. Her mother, too, had a direct habit of speech. And Eve, desiring to know something about Warren and about the country from which he had come, decided that the only way she could satisfy her curiosity was to ask questions. She clearly foresaw that Warren would volunteer no information about himself. ce Tl 231 Still, she felt she ought to preface her ques- tions: “ We—that is, I—thought it was about time to call,” she said. “I’m mighty glad you did!” declared Warren. Silence ensued. Eve caught Warren look- ing at her. . Both blushed. “You are not very old, are you?” was Eve’s next question. Warren proved his youthfulness by an- nouncing his age as twenty-five. And yet to Eve, Warren appeared older. There was something about him that re- minded her of Channing. Warren had the same steady eyes; there was about him, de- spite his present embarrassment, a grave deliberation such as distinguished Channing. Eve was not surprised that Warren blushed when she looked at him, for Chan- ning had done that from the very first. She felt that in some way both Warren and Channing were admitting mental dis- turbance when they blushed. Her calmness increased. “7 am eighteen,” she announced. He had no reply to make to that. But she saw a shade of disturbed thought in his” eyes. “How old is Channing?” he asked. “ Channing is thirty-seven.” “ Nice fellow.” Eve’s education may have been somewhat neglected, but the feminine analytical in- stinct, strong. in her, detected jealousy as the basis of Warren’s question regarding Channing’s age. There was some defiance in her eyes and not a little mockery as she met Warren’s gaze. “ Thirty-seven isn’t actually old. Is it?” ““ Channing is still a young man. Is he married?” “e No.” Eve laughed. She had never fmagined Channing as being married. But Warren’s words provoked the question: Why hadn’t Channing married? “You like him, I suppose?” said Warren. “Channing is the dearest man in the world!” ‘“H-m!” Warren smiled. ‘ Does he know that you think that about him?” “ Certainly.” Gomichbooks €O