Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 25, 1924 — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

58 But an impromptu wedding was better than none at all, and no finer couple had ever been seen in Rio! Finally she was gone, and the couple were left alone. George was walking ner- vously back and forth while Margot stood by the open window that looked into the courtyard. It was drenched in moonlight and the scent of roses. It was languorous with the heavy air of the tropics. _ George stole softly behind her and gently took the white hand that was hanging list- lessly by her side. She did not draw it away. She only acknowledged his presence by a slight pressure. “Are you sorry, Margot? Are you frightened of me?” he asked. ‘“No, I’m not frightened.” And after a pause: “TI trust you, George. I know you will do as you promised.” The boy covered her hand with kisses. “Don’t worry about that,” he said. “I swear not to disturb you—not to take ad- vantage. It will be for you to decide when I’m to be your real husband. That’s a promise!” They were interrupted by the return of Mme. Bori. She carried a decanter of white wine and red and a large plate of cakes. “Tt is all that I have in the house now,” she exclaimed; ‘“‘ but later—later you must promise to let me give you a real wedding feast, and we will have all our friends and a dance. Maybe you will have a second wedding in the church,” she continued. “ With just a civil wedding one never seems more than half married.”’ “ What’s that you say?” Bori had en- tered with his friend, who, in spite of the heat, wore striped trousers and heavy frock coat—the official uniform. ‘“‘ Don’t tell me that a marriage made by my friend here is not so good as one celebrated in the cathedral! Aguirre has tied thousands of knots in his time, and the archbishop himself with fifty priests, acolytes and choir boys could not tie it any tighter.” The yellow skinned little man in the big frock coat showed his few remaining teeth in a grin at these words, shook hands with the prospective bride and groom, and ac- cepted a glass of wine from Mme. Bori. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. From his pocket he pulled out a mass of documents, including one or two blank forms, and began laboriously to fill in the names and dates. “ This is very irregular. Not everybody could arrange this little matter,” he kept grumbling under his breath as he toiled with a rusty pen until Bori became impa- tient and tapped him on the shoulder. “Listen, old friend,” he cried. ‘ Here is the remedy for all irregularities.” He jingled some golden coins and slipped them into the withered hand. ‘“ Now fix up your long-winded documents at home at your leisure. Get the dates and seals and stamps all in order. Let’s have the cere- mony now and be done with it. Who knows at what moment we may be interrupted?” The couple stood side by side before the ancient official in his formal frock coat. The cold hand of Margot was lying in the strong hand of George, and the words that bind man and woman as husband and wife were spoken. Signora Bori hastily drew the worn circlet from her own left hand, when at the critical moment it was found that nobody had thought of a ring. It was over. Senhor Aguirre picked up his papers, drank another glass of wine, and bowed himself out. All would be ar- ranged, he said, the documents would be sent to them to-morrow, and the records at the city hall would be properly entered to make everything legal. Bori and his wife shook George’s hand with gayety, almost dancing in their joy. Gian’ Bori declared that it was like marry- ing off his own son, and they both kissed the bride. “But I must say,” exclaimed Bori, “that you are a strange wedded couple. You have not even kissed each other.” Margot threw her arms around George’s neck and raised her fresh rosy lips to his. It was their first kiss. At the pressure of those warm young lips upon his own the boy’s blood took fire. He pressed her madly to him and for a second her body -relaxed in his arms. Then with swift revulsion she forced him des- perately away from her. Her body stiff- ened in resistance, and with one hand she pushed against his face and averted her Gomichbooks (C@)