Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 18, 1925 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

164 quite sure that Towner misunderstood Nev- ille in the first place. Towner, are you positive you did not misunderstand?” “Why, no, ma’am, I couldn’t go into court and swear to it, of course,” the butler said obligingly. ‘‘ The name Weems sound- ed quite clear to me at the time, as Mr. Neville spoke it; but on the other hand the telephone plays queer tricks with sounds, sometimes, and it—it may have been some other name.” “You see!” Cornelia said triumphantly. “ You were mistaken!” “Yes, ma’am,” Towner said, with a small, dreary sigh. ‘I’m very sorry it should have happened.”’ Jane Stone shrugged her wide, thick shoulders and shook her head. Her only daughter flushed a trifle. ‘Now, Towner, since you were entire- ly mistaken about that, isn’t it possible that you’re mistaken in saying that Mr. Neville hasn’t called up here at all to-day?” “‘ Well, it’s possible, ma’am, yes—because anything’s possible,” the butler conceded. “But I may say that I’ve answered the telephone every time it’s rung to-day, Mrs. Ronalds, and none of the parties mentioned being Mr. Neville, and none of ’em was using a voice anything like Mr. Neville’s.” “Then he really hasn’t called!” Mrs. Ronalds gasped, in a small, stricken wail. * No, ma’am.” Cornelia controlled herself and nodded. “That is all, Towner; if he does call, put him on this wire instantly.” So Towner went his long suffering way, and when the door had closed after him there was a thick, ominous silence of many seconds’ duration. Mrs. Stone broke it with her sudden, short laugh. “Stop wringing your hands!” she com- manded. “ Why the devil don’t we face the fact? He’s gone and done it this time!” “¢ Mother!” “ He’s married the bobbed-haired hussy, whoever she is—and she’s married a help- less pauper, and she doesn’t know it yet.” “ He—no, I don’t believe that. I—and still, he never stayed away all night before, except when we knew exactly where he was, did he? And he’s been acting so queerly lately, since he’s been going about with ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. that—that woman. He never acted like that before.” “Oh, yes, he did!” Mrs. Stone corrected. “He went through the whole same string of idiotic tricks when that little Burgess rat had her sleazy hands on him. He mooned and he sighed and he sulked, just as he has been doing lately. He wouldn’t tell us who she was, either, if you remem- ber.” “J—I do remember!” pered. “ But Forbes found out who she was and I told him how to attend to her—and he at- tended to her!” the elder lady chuckled grimly. ‘Good lawyer, Forbes—a very bright chap.” Cornelia’s whisper persisted: * Mother, Neville #ust have lied when he said he was staying with Peter!” “Of course he lied! They all lie when they’re in love—and most of the rest of the time too for that matter. Well?” ** Well, mother?” “Are we merely going to sit back and accept it with proper Christian resignation, and welcome his fortune-hunting baggage when he does eventually see fit to bring her home?” “Tf he really has married the creature, what else is there to do?” Cornelia whim- pered. “ He—mother, I didn’t tell you this, but last week Neville told me quite flatly that if I didn’t stop questioning him about her and bothering him, he’d go and marry her out of hand!” : “He told you what?” Jane Stone cried tremendously. ‘“ Do you mean to say that things have come to such a pass that you let that spoiled brat tireaten you?” ‘““He didn’t mean to threaten!” Mrs. Ronalds said quickly, quiveringly, and dabbed at her eyes. ‘“ But he was annoyed and he’s twenty-one now and a man, and I suppose he feels—” ‘““ Never mind what he feels or doesn’t feel,” said her mother, and considered her darkly. ‘ Cornelia, have you been nagging him since then?” ‘““Why—why, day before yesterday I asked him if he wouldn’t tell mamma just a little about the girl.” “And he blew up again, eh?” Cornelia whis- COPMICLOOKS (E@)