Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 3, 1924 — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

A STRANGER IN TOWN. 851 didn’t wish to be alone. He made a sug- gestion on the impulse of the moment. * Then—help me to start seeing it, will you? Let’s go to a restaurant and talk the whole thing over and have some supper. I haven’t had a bite to eat since lunch.” ‘“T’m hardly dressed—” she began with a flash of feminine evasion. ‘* Bother,” said Eddie, overriding the ob- jection in purely masculine fashion. ‘“‘ Any- way I’ve got to pay you for your time and trouble, and I’m apt to get fuddled up again if I try to consider this thing alone.” ‘“‘ But there’s nothing to consider.”” Once more Miss Elton smiled. ‘* Please— Portia.” She gave him a glance. And suddenly she nodded. ‘‘ Very well—there’s a place down on O’Farrel if you really must.” Eddie nodded. ‘“ Do we take a car or a taxi? I’m a stranger as I told you.” “You don’t need to repeat it,” said Portia laughing. ‘‘ There’s a car coming. Let’s get on.” | Eddie helped her aboard. Already his spirits were rising. They had touched bot- tom, so to speak, inside the past few hours and now, in the way of youth, they were beginning to rebound. He sank into a seat at her side. At least he was out of jail, and Marvin would have the deuce of a time catching him in anything suspicious, and he was escorting Portia—he had called her Portia and she had seemed to under- stand and not resent his presumption—he was escorting her to a restaurant, and after that he was going to take her home, and— and—before he left he would ask if they couldn’t go out again some evening. Since Marvin had said he must remain in the city he’d throw himself on her mercy— seek to induce her to share more of his sight-seeing with him. It would make him feel less a stranger. She reached up and punched a button and rose as the car reached a stop. Eddie helped ‘her off, and steadied her at the crossings by a hand beneath her elhow, until the restaurant was reached. They went in. It was quite a place. There was a main floor and a balcony. There were hat-girl pirates, and little tables with service calls, quite appropriately in the form of lighthouses, if the pirates were considered, and a twitter of birds in cages among artificial leaves, and a bare spot in the center where bare-footed damsels danced. They sat down and gave their order and Eddie thrust his fingers into the pocket of his vest, produced the hundred dollar bill and spread it out on the table. ‘“ Here, in so far as I am concerned,” he said, ‘‘ is the cause of this whole confounded business. What am I going to do about the thing?” ‘“T don’t see what you can do about it, Mr. Harmon,” Miss Elton told him. “ If Blumefeldt gave it to you—” ‘“* Don't!” Eddie interrupted in tones al- most appealing. “I’m sick of that man’s name. I suppose he did give it to me really, and an hour ago I thought I saw the ex- planation. But—my suggestions didn’t seem to be acceptable to Marvin or Salles.” Portia puckered her brows into lines of consideration. ‘I think we must try and excuse Mr. Marvin and Captain Salles un- der the circumstances,” she said at last. ‘* Personally I think Blumefeldt gave it to you because he is a clever man and knows enough of human nature to expect you to do exactly what you did.” : Eddie made a facetious remark. ‘ Even so, he was taking a long chance, giving me a hundred dollars. Most men when they saw what they had would have forgotten all about the slap in the face.” Miss Elton smiled again in playful fash- ion. ‘“‘ Remember that I was convinced of your honesty at once this afternoon. Prob- ably he judged you a man who would be prompt to pay his debts.” ‘“‘ Oh, I sav.”” Harmon grinned in a some- what sheepish manner. He was young enough to desire a sophisticated air he did not possess. But Portia put out a hand part way across the table. ‘“ Forgive me. Though seriously, you ought to be glad to impress people as honest—as a man of your word.” ‘“Man of my word?” Eddie rejoined. ‘* ‘You’re the only one who has showed any inclination to accept it this afternoon and evening and Marvin and Salles are trying their best to make me out a thug.” comniicloaoo! (©