Argosy All-Story Weekly — 'The Metal Monster' — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

THE DERELICT. _. something she did not find. She turned away quickly. ‘‘ You were not intruding. I could see you didn’t like Clay. I’m sorry. He—” 5 , She broke off with‘a little sound that was half-sob, and ran quickly up the ladder to ‘the saloon-deck. Thorpe remained where he was. His ‘mind had been traveling around in a circle. He felt that he was no longer necessary to Katrina, yet he could not think of leaving her alone with the mate of the Victorine. Life seemed suddenly empty again. He did not understand why. Katrina—Ka- trina would marry Gordon-Channing. Thorpe shrugged his shoulders and paced the deck, angry with himself for being dis- turbed over nothing. Love! Thorpe laughed bitterly to him- self. What was this thing “love,” that a whole world talked about? Why hadn’t he felt it for Katrina? In all good stories, that would have been the result of a man and woman being left alone aboard a ship— they would have fallen in love and, if rescued, have rushed off to the nearest marriage-license bureau. But— ‘““ Oh, I feel as if I’d been beaten! That’s the way it’s left me. I’m sore all over! Just a fool kid—hurt, because some else has taken my fun away from me! I’m an ass! 9? Katrina, too, was turning things over in her mind. Her thoughts were somewhat similar to Thorpe’s. But Katrina was a woman—she knew what caused the hurt in her heart. There was no doubt about it. And it made her desperate, because Thorpe showed no slightest sign of return. Her future— She shuddered. Of course, she could marry Clay. She had cared for him once. Maybe she could care again. . CHAPTER X. THE PORT OF HAPPINESS. HE evening was one of those warm, - sweet tropical evenings, with stars like sparkling lights in a curtain of black velvet night. The lights of the Victorine shone like a trail to safety. The steady throb of her screw sounded through the Acie Vogl, Ogee 91 dark like a promise from heaven. There — was everything to cheer the girl’s heart and to make for her peace of mind. Yet— Katrina’s face was white. The old, haunted look was in her bronze eyes. So soon, now, they would be in port. And then— She started from her unhappy medita- tions as she heard Clay running lightly down the ladder from the bridge. She heard him pause as he reached the saloon- deck, and hoped he would go on below. But he had seen her silhouette against the dark, beyond, and he was approaching her. _ _ She turned toward him as he reached her side. Could he have seen the tragedy in her face, he must have kept silent. But in the dark, he could only sense her move- ment —her turning toward him. He reached out quick arms and caught her to him. Katrina, with a smothered cry bursting from her lips, strained away from him, but his strong arms held her. | ‘“ Katrina! Katrina!” he breathed husk- ily. ‘‘ We’ve lived for this—you and I. I always dreamed that some day I should find you again and have you for mine! This time there’ll be no separation. You’re going to marry me when we reach Bermuda. I'll have my ship in another month or so. You'll be with me, always, around the world and back again. Katrina, speak to me, dear. Tell me you will be mine!” The girl tried to speak, but her voice seemed to have died. She tried to struggle free from the man holding her; but she had no strength. She felt Gordon-Channing’s breath upon her lips. This drove life back into her. | She beat against his shoulders with her fists, gasping: ‘Don’t kiss me! Do you hear? Don't kissme! Don’t dare!’ Gordon-Channing started back in sur- prise. “What do you mean, Katrina? ' Don’t dare? Why should I not kiss you? Katrina—Katrina, speak to me!”’ She was half sobbing by now. Her words rushed brokenly from her. ‘ You have no right! I don’t want you to kiss me! Oh, you come to me out of the years and take me in your arms as if I’d been stowed away GOH GIO UL UN S (CO