Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 18, 1925 — page 90: what you’re looking at

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

240 “Tf I get out of here,” said Rod, “I might accidentally meet that girl and I might say or do something that would get me electrocuted. I’d rather stay in this room during the rest of the voyage than even look at her once. And when we get to Plymouth I stay on board until you noti- fy me that she is off the ship. Now get out of here; it’s better to be alone than listening to your misplaced humor. Though I thank you for going to the captain about me.” “You can’t put me out of my stateroom.” “Tt’s a prison cell now, and they ought to find you a better room. Go make a kick.” “Well, if you feel like that,’ grumbled Howard on his way out. CHAPTER XIII. GERTRUDE WRITES A LETTER. HE cause of it all was very much bored. Her mother’s society was al- ways acrid. Her only girl friend had just forsaken her. The Dupoys had been chilled by her mother’s glacial greeting of them and kept well away. Howard Campbell was partly responsible in her opinion for the unpleasant affair with Rod McGarry; he carried tales. She did not know a soul to whom she could talk. Mr. McGarry had begun to make some sort of appeal to her. After the incident on the stairs, she had thought that a word or two from her, direct to him, would sweep away misunderstanding, and they might be- come acquainted. He was rather interesting, and looked as if he might have real ideas. But he had rebuffed her so furiously when she met him in the corridor; he so obviously hated the sight of her, that they certainly never could be friends. True she had given him some cause for indignation, but there was no reason for that dreadful look of scorn which he had cast upon her. Ah, well. What did it matter! What did anything matter? The way Mary Norman acted she might be in love with the fellow. Perhaps she was. She bad met him on the train. In that case she ought to be glad that Gertrude was not ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, acquainted with him. Against her attrac- tions, what chance had Mary? Gertrude’s lips parted in a half Saree she knew her own worth. By and by it was time to eat. The “ first sitting ” guests were streaming out on deck and the bugle was blowing for the “‘ second sitting.” ‘* Let’s go down, mother,” she said. ‘“ The morning in the sea air has given me an appetite.” “We might as well get it over with,” grumbled Mrs. Thomas, lifting herself out of her comfortable nest. ‘‘ Come along, dear.” Luncheon was half way through before the captain appeared. Gertrude had been watching the distant table where the boys sat, and saw Campbell take his place, but not McGarry. She felt a bit curious to know why he didn’t come to lunch. And then she found out. “T had to take stern measures with that young man you pointed out to me, Mrs. Thomas,” he said. ‘I spoke to him and he was so insulting that I put him under arrest and confined him to his cabin.” She nodded her head approvingly. ‘ T congratulate you upon your firmness,” she said. Gertrude had caught a word or two of this conversation, but not its import, as she was sitting at the other side of her mother, and two places from the as She leaned forward. “Did you say you had arrested some- body on board, captain? Who was it? What had he been doing?” The captain looked surprised. ‘“ Why, it was on your account, Miss Thomas. I have had the man who insulted you con- fined to his stateroom.”’ The color faded from the girl’s face. Her mouth opened and shut as she tried to form words. Her emotions ran riot. She was too well-bred to make a scene in a crowded dining room with half dozen peo- ple at the captain’s table regarding her curiously. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, to beat the captain in his fat chest with both her little fists. But she did not. “This is terrible,” she murmured, swung 5A Eomicbooks (EO)