Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 18, 1925 — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

184 of wealth, a distant. gong ought to ring cheeringly or the amiable butler appear. Cynthia reached for her hat. ‘“ However—we’ve annulled the engage- ment now, haven’t we?” ** T suppose so.”’ “Then that’s that!’? Cynthia concluded, and rose and beamed upon Mrs. Ronalds. ‘‘ And the next time a young man’s engaged to me, I hope that he’ll let me into the secret, too.” “ But—but it isn’t that!” the lady cried hastily. ‘‘ I mean to say, I can’t grasp at all how this happened in the first place. You must help me, by thinking back. Some- thing may have been said, possibly in jest, that gave Neville the impression that you had accepted him. I’m quite certain he had that impression, Miss Blair; I know my little boy very well, and I know how he has been acting lately. Indeed, his be- havior has been so very strange that I was most anxious to see you while he was away and learn the whole truth and—and [ll think back, too, and see if I cannot take some of the blame.”’ Cynthia’s hesitation, in the way of re- placing the hat on her head, was the very prettiest thing. “Well, at some other time, perhaps?” she suggested. “ Vou’ve an engagement now?” *“T? Oh, no. Not for another two or three hours, at least,” the caller responded, with the utmost readiness. “Then, if you please, pray be seated again, Miss Blair.” “No!” Miss Blair said firmly; and drew one short, deep breath and steadied her voice and added: ‘JI shall be delaying your dinner.” She smiled again, entrancingly—and slowly ceased her smiling. Remarkable as it might be, this woman was gazing up at her with a total lack of comprehension, as if the very word itself were unfamiliar and she found a moment’s thought necessary before grasping its full meaning! Then Mrs. Ronalds raised a thin and deprecatory hand. ‘* Dear me, no!” she protested. ‘“‘ Ah,” Cynthia said sweetly, “ I fear that you're just being polite.” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Mrs. Ronalds shook her head emphati- cally. ‘ You’re mistaken—really you are,” she insisted, in her earnest way. ‘‘ You see, Miss Blair, we are a very old-fashioned family. Sometimes / think that we’re the last old-fashioned family in all New York.” ‘‘ Kr—yes?” Cynthia murmured ecstati- cally. Because the gates were opening! No crystal gazing was necessary, to know that this was the prelude to an explanation of the too simple meal to come—just a soup and a roast, of course, with none of the cheap frivolities and fancy trimmings that count so little. “Yes, indeed,” sighed Mrs. Ronalds. ‘“* Mother prefers it so, you see, and things are usually as mother prefers to have them.” Cynthia nodded rather perplexedly. “And so, of course,” concluded Mrs. Ronalds, “‘ we have dinner in the middle of the day!” CHAPTER VF. CHOSEN. e OU—you—what?”’ thia. ‘“T say, we have dinner in the middle of the day, Miss Blair—about one, that is—and a very light supper at six, un- less we happen to be entertaining, which is very rarely. So, you see, you needn’t have the least hesitation about staying on that account. You must just sit down and—” For that matter, Cynthia was already sitting down. Quite automatically and largely because the unreliable knees were threatening to give way again, she had returned to her chair. And the painting in the far corner had turned strangely foggy and was sway- ing about drunkenly; and beside Cynthia, where there had been a single Ming piece but a moment ago, there were half a dozen, all shadowy and uncertain of outline. Be- cause they dined in the middle of the day! Well, with a little less enthusiasm and a little more quiet thought, she might have foreseen it easily enough. ‘That was the escaped Cyn- GEomichooks (E@)