Argosy All-Story Weekly, March 15, 1924 — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

684 fore a soft, sweet wind. There wasn’t no more éffort in their motions than that. | _ Me and Jimmie stood and watched them till the dance was done, Jinimie scowling like all get out and me half smilin’ to my- self. I didn’t see how Sadie’s happy, lifted face could make anybody scowl, but of course I was not her husband. When the dance was done, all the dancers clapped their hands-and the orchestra bust- ed out again whilst the dancers went round two-three times more. Then - everybody piled toward the door leading to the beach. That was the way they generally done. They would have a dance or so and then. they would go down in couples to look at the lake, et cetera. + The lads grabbed a girl here and a sia there till they was all outfitted in femininity and I noticed that Billy was hanging to Sadie’s arm like grim death. They was one of the last couples to go out the door. ' As soon as they had: passed under the light, Jimmie broke into a run, toward the road. T waddled after him. When I come up on him he was standin’ at the top of the slope . that run down to the beach. A bunch of blackberry ‘bushes hid him from the view of them that was going into tue coad. There was so many of them-that Jimmie’s run had carried him to the top of the slope before Sadie and, Billy got there. ‘Just as I-ranged.up-alongside of jimmie, they come into view. I guess maybe Billy had detained Sadie some, for they were at the tail end of the procession. Just when they got to the edge of the slope, Billy stopped to light a cigarette. the space between him and Sadie and the last of the others. He took hold of Sadie’s arm and helped her down the bank. They was then not more than ten feet from us.~- Carelesslike I put out a hand andi laid it on Jimmie’s arm. I discovered something then that I hadn’t knowed before; that Jim- mie boy had an arm like a rock, only now it was a kind of an unsteady rock. I could feel the muscles twitch and ‘pull under my hand. I looked down and seen that Jimmie was clenching and unclenching his hands, . “ Steady, son,” says I. “ Shut your mouth, ” he whispered, fierce and hot. ARGOSY-ALLSTORS ~the hill. " That widened — » WEEKLY. T done it, tight. Why not? I could still feel them muscles twitchin’ and pullin’: Sadie and Billy was now halfway down IT seen a band of dark curl round ‘the white of Sadie’s dress at the waist. Jim-. mie’s muscles grew tight and hard. . He crouched hike he was going to spring. But he didn’t spring; he just stood there kind of doubled up. For Sadie had escaped from Billy’s arm. She whirled around, and even in that dim light I believed I could see the blaze of her fierce young eyes. . Smack! Her hand had swung round in she ¢ air and it lighted on Billy’s cheek fast and neat as any Dempsey punch. Then down the hill scooted: Sadie. .. Billy, whose brain never was what you might call fast, just stood there, rubbing his cheek. His cigarette was still burning in his right hand. Jimmie give his jump then and landed in the middle of the road. I stumbled down after him. By the time I got to where he had landed, he had Billy by the collar. He got behind Billy and shoved him up.the slope and past me. ’Course I followed. I was a detective, getting details. A hundred yards up the road jimmie “stopped and swung Billy around, lettin’ go his collar as he done so. Billy staggered and teetered a little, then come to a stop. He fronted Jimmie with his face working time and a half. For a minute he couldn’t speak. My, he was mad, madder’n I _ thought he had it in him to get. “What do you think you’re trying to do, you upstart?” he addressed Jimmie. “ Upstart?” says Jimmie. “ Why, you— you parvunoo!” - - | “ Parvunoo, huh?” Billy bleats back. “Vou grocery clerk, to whom do you think you are talking to?” - “You dancing master, I’m talking to you,” Jimmie says. ‘And I’m goin’ to push your face up among your back hair.” “ When—next week?” “Now. ‘This minute!” ‘Where would you prefer to wear your own face from now on—in the back of your _neck?” Billy inquires. “ Ho; ho, ho!” That is Jimmie laughing the idea to scorn. J could see that he had a notion eornie DOOK CO