Argosy, Vol. 147, No. 1 — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

on pn J - * Gout a own C aieitle- eeatss for a drive oe herself. The fellow made no particular attempt to hide this fact; he never obtruded, but she knew he was always there. But, al- though she was angry with, and sullenly defiant of, her father, there was no particu- lar man she wanted to meet clandestinely— as yet. None of the five reported upon had touched her heart. They had been con- veniences merely—automatons useful to escort her to dances and to theaters; no more. And if the others whom she knew could not call upon her, she did not fancy any of them enough to take chances of being gos- siped about for meeting them in hotel cor- ridors or corner drug stores. She took to reading the new books, seeing the new plays, and riding of mornings. Morgan Evans, her new chauffeur, could not follow her on the bridle-path. At all events, he had no orders to attempt to do so; evident- ly her father thought her matutinal gallops harmless enough. So, after early chocolate, while most of her friends still slept off their late dances, and the remainder of the city was on its way to work, she would mount Red Star, head for the long stretches of the park, give the spirited Arab his head, and go galloping full tilt for a five-mile run. One particular morning—perhaps the most particular of all the mornings of her life—she was on her way back from such a run, almost out of the park, in fact, when an unusual happening enchained her atten- tion. Here, where the bridle path was almost paralleled by the city street, a num- ber of hoodlums were gathered, making a great deal of noise, throwing a great many stones, and in general making a nuisance of themselves. Suddenly, to her horror, as she came nearer she saw that the stones were being thrown at a little lame squirrel. They had circled about it in such a way that it could not scurry off into the underbrush to some sort of safety. Whenever it darted to one «Side of the road a stone drove it back. _ When it turned and hurled its little body ‘at a tree, it was galy to fall back again Re BRE Fs ce Bis o4 eS pious an zee ‘Motes “frenzied. afte 7 the ee would ee oe sis the grinning hoodlums. © latively poor aim saved the littl He from being maimed or killed outrig rinne, as soon as she saw what was ha ing, slid from her saddle and, reins in ha rushed forward. But before she oul terfere another and a stronger perso had made itself felt. eo Young Mr. Randolph Beatty, on us s way to the office, turned out of an adjoinin path, and saw, too. Without words } swung on his heel and connected with t point of the nearest hoodlum’s jaw. “As the next to the nearest turned, he got a str aig : left under the ear, stumbled over his fa en friend, and pitched over backward. a ? Damn cowards!” quoth young Beatty, and strode Be. the lame squirr nel which had just fallen back, exhausted fr its dozenth attempt to climb a tree. tried to bite young Mr. Beatty as he i it up, but it was a very young squirrel, ; and Randolph’s tough dog-skin gloves defeatec its milk teeth and its intentions. ‘Damn cowards!” he reiterated, ving the squirrel’s persecutors balefully. “* W is that? Anybody say anything?” — = e Apparently no one had. The hoodluw shuffled off on their various ways, led by th two recipients of his fistic prowess, ‘“ Oh, let me, please!” entreated — stretching out her hands, utterly fof g of Red Star, whose reins fell from C she reached. Randy Beatty turned q ly; he had been unaware of her preser She repeated her request. — ‘ ‘Look out! The little devil bites,” 1 warned, as he acceded to it, and p te trembling little squirrel in her hands, “O O —look out!” he repeated suddenly, as teeth fastened on a tightly gloved fing and she gave a little squeal of Pale Her sudden cry, following his, w too many for Red Star, already excite the fighting. He turned, eting forefoot became ee in the § rein: 4 the more. aS ee | The horse began to ee a] red film crossing the whites | of hi > - Saee a nicbooks.com