The Argosy, March 1907 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

“‘e af —~ A uly - MN a é ¥ EY Bt } yt Lay WR A ER mal bs ie b wal : Ld q we a - eee > hs - beak 6 Se Seicral would have puzzled a bank cashier. “It really makes very small difference, though,” reflected Gardiner, course the two places are side by side, and if I don’t find my man at the one I shall certainly land him at the other.” But, as it happened, he was not put even to that recourse, for when he turned into the block for which he _ was heading he found a much simpler solu- tion to the problem. The front of 827 was all aglow with lights, a canopy ex- tended down from the door to the curb, and a strain of dance-music floated lilt- ingly to his ears. The “little festivity’ which Stearns had mentioned was evidently in progress. Without further hesitation Davis mounted the steps and confronted the Cerberus on guard. ~““T am here by appointment,” he ex- plained. ‘ Please show me to the ‘ den,’ and let Mr. Stearns know that I have ar- rived.” The man bowed, and throwing open a door on the left of the wide hall, mo- tioned him to enter; but Gardiner halt- ed abruptly at the threshold, for he saw that the room was already occupied. A young lady in a ball gown, startled by the interruption, had risen hastily from the divan upon which she was seat- ed and now stood facing him. A moment they gazed at each other thus, while a mutual recognition dawned slowly in their eyes. [hen almost simul- taneously each uttered the other’s name. The girl was Phebe Stonefield! CHAPTER V. IN THE .CAMP OF THE ENEMY. AFTER that first surprised outcry, Gardiner stood silent—overwhelmed by a rush of sensations, blinking and daz- zied before the radiant vision he had so unexpectedly encountered. This dess-like creature little Phoebe Stonefield? He could scarcely S believe it. David had, of course, long since out- grown the “ puppy-love” of his teens, and in his busy career the object of that “ youthful passion stood for no more than : _ a. pleasant memory; yet in her presence + ‘for of. once more he found fifraselt Hoslthg aa | trembling as he had in the old days whenever she cast a careless glance in ~ ee his direction. Had he ever given thought to the mat- ter, he must have realized that she, like himself, would grow up; but not even in the wildest flight of his imagination, he told himself, could he have pictured her as the woman she had become. Her neck and shoulders gleamed like ivory above the laces on her bodice; she had drawn off her long white gloves, and her two bare arms were extended to her lovely face was-. irradiated with a smile, and her cheek | him in welcome ; glowed with pleased excitement. And now that he came to look more closely, he could see in her much of the child he once had known. True, the dark, glossy hair, whieh in those days she had worn down her back in two beribboned plaits, was now coiled coronetwise about her head, and the im- mature figure had rounded out into a model of slender grace, but the general cast of her features remained the same, and her clear eyes had lost nothing of their frank, straightforward gaze. “Yes, it is Phoebe,” murmured Gar- diner rhapsodically. ‘It is really you! I little thought when Mr. Stearns invited me up here ‘to-night that there was any such pleasant surprise in store for me.” “Mr. Stearns?” repeated questioningly, as she withdrew the hand he had continued to clasp. “Ves, your host. He asked me to drop up here to- “night to discuss a matter of business with him.” A sparkle of amused compreheneian crept into the girl’s eye. “Do you happen to mean Alton Stearns, the banker?” she asked quickly. “Certainly. This is his house, isn’t it? He told me that his wife was going to have some kind of a party, but not to mind that, as we would be quite un- interrupted in here.” She smiled at the positiveness of. his manner. “You have made a_ mistake, diner,” she said. ‘“ Mr. Stearns lives next door. This is our home, and the ball is to signalize my return from Eu- rope. I have been traveling abroad for the last three years.’ of 7 the girl Gar- va Ny, wh ri SVS Siting hah ye : ‘ P " | ay AM ie 2 ey Sing 79 -_ ld s 7 q AT DS alt fe; Fe aS ee oe Sy phy EAY vd ee aa ten p f : y f : y Si hi * , tes F . ‘ hy 28 vit ey de eM ited oe hier md ys ny * ry ha Sah ¥ MWe Ban he Le ge 4 ae re het ee = + rai . . 3 mt Pe fe Say ~ ~- * ‘3 4 aL? ar