The Argosy, March 1907 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

to reconstruct a complete animal from -a single fragmentary bone; but Davis, it must be remembered, was a ‘“ mere man.” Besides, he was fully occupied, for the moment, with his own predica- ment. ‘Please pardon pleaded awkwardly. my blunder,”’ he “IT know I must ~ seem a perfect imbecile to you, but real- ly, it was the ball that was to blame. Had it not been for Stearns’s unfortu- nate remark about. his wife’s entertain- ment, I should have been more careful in making my inquiries. I—I—vwell,”’ backing toward the door, “I can only ask forgiveness and say good night.” But she stayed him with a smiling ges- ture. | ‘“ Aren’t you a bit precipitate?’ she asked ingenuously. “One doesn’t meet an old friend so often that one wishes to part from her with a mere ‘ How qd’ y do?’ Can’t you stay at least long enough to tell me what you have been doing with yourself in the years since we have seen each other? Come, sit down,” and she drew her skirts aside to make a place for him on the divan, ‘and let us have a long, confidential chat.” Gardiner was due at Stearns’s, and it was one of the rules of his life never to be late at an appointment, but he would have been more than human had he been able to resist this arch appeal. He suc- cumbed to the temptress without a struggle. | “And now I want to hear every- thing,” she said, when at last he had seated himself beside her. ‘ Do you know, Gardiner,’ with an approving glance at his’stalwart proportions, “ you have improved wonderfully in looks. There is an.air of power and achieve- ment about you, so different from the vapid, weary expression one sees on the faces “of the men in society. Tell me, do you ever write verses any more? I remember the day you bade me good- by you said you had forsworn all your ambitions in that direction, but I have often wondered if the itch in your fingers would not prove too strong a temptation.” “No,” he smiled, “I have been too busy since I left you to find any time for stringing my poor little lyre. Indeed,” x or 2 ty a war Xe : > - . Fs —— he added in a low voice, “the first time I have felt any poetic impulse is since I came into this room to-night.” She hurriedly averted her eyes, and — } a touch of color flamed out upon her cheek, but she did not seem displeased. She hastened, however, to restore the conversation to a less ticklish basis by again asking him what he had been do- = ing. “You can’t imagine,” she said, “ how often I have thought of you, and have wondered if you would be able to carry out the brave sentiments you expressed to me the day of our parting. But you have succeeded,” she cried; “it needs only one glance at you to assure me of that. And-.now I must know how you it. Start at the beginning and tell me every step of your upward progress.” Thus adjured, Gardiner related his story, not boastfully, nor with any un- due stress upon the obstacles he had overcome; but the girl, with quick in- tuition, read between the lines and drew her own deductions as to the character of the fight he had put up. , “Oh,” she exclaimed, with parted lips and hands enthusiastically pressed together, “that was worth hearing. Il had almost forgotten in my little, nar- row, restricted world that there was an- other world outside where men were actu- ally at work, and where the old eternal problems had to be met and grappled with. — ‘And to think,” her eyes shining upon him like stars, “ that you have grappled with them, and in so short a time have conquered. I am proud of you, Gardi- ner Davis—proud of your pluck and perseverance, proud because I am able to claim one friend, at least, who is a man!” Pete Thrilled to the soul by her praise, his heart all on fire with the nearness of her glowing beauty, it was all that Gardiner could do to keep from snatching her — to his arms then and there; but he re- strained his ardor and strove modestly to temper her eager encomiums. ‘“Ah, Phoebe,” he disclaimed, ‘ you give me too much credit. What I have been able to do is, after all, very little. The obstacles still loom large ahead, and success—the real success—sometimes® seems a long way off.” | : is ith Pos ay ‘ RT ike } 7 t TN eee SY Pry Pe) a NAS RU Ve 7 ' arg \ The zie /i AiyiNd cme HH eeas shy ke et a eel i ALS Ct & v.