Argosy, Vol. 147, No. 1 — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

«a ~~ = a »* Sie SS a bri 4 ee ae Mis ty ” ia . aig ‘ < a In 7 wr ~>% . . cog Sh as. . > 2A = Oe ‘e > ‘ very anxious to show her some- f extraordina interest to the femi- cart. _ The promoter led Oliver to the room and mixed a cocktail just as ked it and as he was positive every one As Oliver had not eaten anything since ; me age breakfast of the singular egg, the mulant got to him rather swiftly and he d a vague impression that he was talking h unusual volubility. ‘The promoter listened. Listening to meat ideas and squashing them was his mis- lon in life. When the ambitious applicant for his favor ran out of wind, Samuel Wel- ngton generally opened up with his pet shrase: “ You're wrong, and I'll tell you hy.” He got it ready now when he im- agined that the young man before him was reaching the end of his argument in favor of ostriches and ostrich plumes as a Mr. Wellington put down his cocktail lass slowly. He looked sympathetically Oliver. “ You’re wrong, and [ll show yu why, young man.” Ollie receded a e. Samuel continued: “ Ostrich plumes as valuable as they once were. They ye bought to-day for a song. Why, mly this afternoon my wife bought a hat amed with two fine feathers—” “You say your wife bought a hat?” yer couldn’t keep the exclamation in. “Yes—a hat trimmed with ostrich eighteen inches long. Looks like a lars, but she paid only twenty So you see that smashes your propo- tion to smithereens.” It does, indeed,” murmured Oliver with ivings. ‘That is, if it happened to be ~ bate 3 _ s hat that he had taken back. But 1’t be at that price. The flapper 1d inc Hy told him it was worth a hun- at least. And yet, the circumstances sd so perfectly into his experiences and se of his wife, that the conviction was ss entered the dining room. queer expression on Vie’s face, » had bitten into a green per- ~ ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. As Mrs. Wellington had occasion to speak to the housekeeper before sitting down and as her husband wished to bring forth a bot- tle of wine from the bin, to which he alone had a key, the guests were left alone for a moment. “ Mrs. Wellington bought a hat,” whis- pered Oliver. “T saw it,” Vie whispered in return. “ Tt’s the same.”’ ‘“ But she paid only twenty dollars—” “ Fiddlesticks! That’s what she told her husband. She put up a round hundred.” Ollie looked helplessly at Vie. The diplo- matic fib of Mrs. Wellington had proved the monkey wrenclr in the machinery of the ostrich proposition. But what was to be done? Certainly the hostess could not be exposed; and yet, if her unfortunate mis- representation were permitted to stand it meant finis to Steele’s opportunity. The dinner was rather one-sided. That is, the enthusiasm or the sparkle or the verve supposed to attend such an affair seemed to spring from the conversation of the host and hostess rather than from the party asa whole. The guests appeared to be absent-minded and listless, although they nodded their heads and smiled and uttered monosyllables when they thought such ver- bal bursts opportune. And finally the time of night arrived when Vie ‘“ guessed” they must be going. The customary pressure to remain was ap- plied, but not too emphatically, and when it was quite evident that Mr. and Mrs, Steele were sincere in their desire to be off, Mrs. Wellington sent for the car. “Sam and I will ride home with you,” said the hostess without consulting her hus- band, who was quite ready to call it an evening. And she again swept Vie upstairs to don their hats. When they came down Oliver saw that Mrs. Wellington wore the ostrich-plumed headpiece and he groaned inwardly, having long since given up hope that he could ever convince the promoter of the value of ostrich feathers and still keep secret the wife’s deception. They reached the Steele apartment and good night for the s trying to make light of it. were bidding each other : usly at Oliver, and he fan- tenth time, when: two men stepped out from “the message in her eyes. the shadows of trees and approached rap- — ea ee Cor CDOOKS-com Fe