Argosy All-Story Weekly, March 15, 1924 — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

YOUNG and, smart girl that she was, Sadie steered a fairly straight course the last time, and the car run up into their drive and out to the back of the house. I watched till the lights blinked off. Then I went to bed.- Golly, I should think so! It had been a larger night than usual for me. And now just a few odds and ends. I. was in the store next day at noontime, and in comes Sadie. She has on a perky ging- ham dress, made very fashionable, and she unrolls a long apron from a bundle and ties it on. ‘“‘ Jennie has your lunch ready, Jimmie,” she says, snappy. ‘‘ You go up and get it and I'll mind the store. Take an hour. ‘Lie down for a while after you eat. You have been eating too fast and working right af- terward. That’s bad for your -digestion.” “Tm not going to let you make a clerk. - out of yourself,” Jimmie objects. Run along and do what I tell you,” Sa- die says. . up a doctor’s bill.” So Jimmie run along. Sadie come over to me and held out her hand. I seen aring with a green stone set in kind of dull gold, prettiest ring I’d seen in a long time. ‘ Present?” says I. “From Jimmie,” she says. “birthday.” | “ Well, here,” says I, “ you had a birth- day just a little while ago. How many birthdays do you have in a year? It’s not two months since Jimmie give you the wash—”’ “ This ring is for the same birthday,” she says. “It’s a little late, but very accepta- ble, nevertheless.” ““ Qh!” says I, real eloquent. Jimmie and Billy’s father has a long con- ference in the back of the store a little later, Jimmie having sent Billy to the city on some kind of an errand or another. Next THE “For my U “ I’m not going to have you run_ REBELS. 701 day Billy’s father comes for him in a big car. ‘“He’s going into his father’s office in the city,” Jimmie says. Just thoughtless. Learned his lesson, I think.” I met Elizabeth on the street the next day after that. She stopped and stood looking at me with a stony stare. “What a fool you are, Hill!” she says. “You are not a detective. You are an idiot.” | “Who ever said I was a detective?” i asked her. “ Nobody!” she flares. dare.” “Well, then,” says I, calm and pleasant. She started away; turried back. “T hear you were at that—at her party,” she says. “YT was,” said I, “ and I had a splendid time. Why wasn’t you there, Elizabeth?” I declare her face got kind. of red and she bit her lip to keep it from shaking. “Ym a lonely old woman,” she said. “T’m not good enough, not gay enough, for the rising generation. I wasn’t in- vited.” Then she did go away from there. Well, I waited till Sadie showed up at the store at noon and then I read her the-_rjot act. “But I thought she would be insulted,” Sadie said. “ Do you think she would come next time?” “Try her,” says I. Sadie tried her. Elizabeth didn’t accept that bid, nor the next: five. On the seventh she come, and me and her sat on the porch and talked and ate ices and cake. Elizabeth kind of unbent. ‘* Nobody would ed Byerly girl. I was wondering if she would be back at the beach the next sun mer. I hoped so.. She was a very intrest ing young lady..- END U U THE MAN IN THE DARK a short story of dramatic intensity by MAX BRAND, will be one of the features of our issue of next week. cCOmiclboook “Not a bad fellow. At least I think she did.:- I dunno. I was thinking of that red head- CO