Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 195: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRAVE AND THE FARE. For a moment she frowned, demurely— it seemed hardly right. But she shook off her scruples. ‘ I—I love to explore,’ she admitted. | | They made their way up-stairs together and found the light in the upper hall. The first room they entered was a very feminine chamber, decorated in a tasty shade of pink and furnished with bird’s-eye maple. “ This,” he announced, with an airy ges- ture, “ shall be our quarters for to-night!” He thoroughly enjoyed the appropria- tion of other folks’ homes, a new expe- rience. The room revealed no clothes of any sort, however, and the discomfort of their own damp garments sent them further on their task of exploration. Two other bed- rooms in the front part of the floor proved equally barren of clothing. A fourth door was locked, and insistent knocking brought no response. ‘‘ Wish I dared: break in!” muttered Jack. oo Lillian led him away by the arm. Final- ly, in the back part of the house, in two rooms apparently servants’ quarters, their ' search was rewarded. Jack, in the first - room, dug up the coat and vest of a butler’s uniform, a pair of neatly pressed but cool Palm Beach trousers—luckily of dark color -—and a supply of shirts and underwear and haberdashery, some of which had never been worn. He was happy. Lillian left him to make his change. In the other room they had seen feminine ap- parel which she now proceeded to ransack. Everything was so faultlessly clean, and she was so decidedly cold and uncomfort- able, that she buried her scruples and ar- rayed herself in the articles available. The only dresses were white, the typical gar- ments of the maid servant; bué the under- things were warm and soft, if not as fash- ionable and alluring as her own discarded silk, ‘Well, James,” she ejaculated, at the first plimpse of him. “Yes, cook!”’ he rejoined, laughing as heartily at her appearance. They hurried down to the kitchen, warm now, and famished both. From icebox and pantry they produced materials enough fer a seven course dinner. She relled up her - OtT sleeves and soon was immersed in details beyond his comprehension. “I’m going to set the table,” he said, after a bit of reflection. ‘Let’s eat in style! What do you say?” She looked up from lighting the oven, her face flushed. ‘ Oh, boy!” He put on all the lights in the dining- room and praceeded to inventory the con- tents of the china closets mentally, with the idea of producing the best possible set- ting of his board. He discovered doilies, and fancy crested silver, and imported glassware. He brought in some cut flowefs from the living-room. He made an art of his task, and by the time he was finished the entire dinner was cooked and ready. They brought it in together, and for a moment stood looking at the sizzling sirloin, the cream-white potatoes, the steamfng young peas, the salad of lettuce hearts and tomatoes and mayonnaise. Then suddenly she clutched his arm. Her face went white. ‘* Listen! ” Sure enough, there were the sounds of footsteps up-stairs, and a door was slammed. Then, down the stairs, with the heavy, flat-footed tread of an elderly per- son, the laborious transfer of a dead weight from one unwilling limb to the other, some one approached. Across the living-room the steps came, and then, in the curtains, appeared a .fiercely visaged, gray-haired man of near six feet, faultlessly attired in evening dress. He looked from Lillian to Jack with some show of surprise, and some- thing in his eyes fixed them with more than disquiet, with a feeling akin to positive fear. “So!” he said. “Dinner is ready! Good!” __ He advanced to the table, taking the seat at the end. As the odor of the meat struck his nostrils he smiled and he picked up the carving knife and steel with all the antici- patory pleasure of an epicure. “TI hope you will pardon us for intrud- ing,’”’ Jack began in a timorous voice. They had been taken so thoroughly by surprise that he felt about as adequate as a boy caught on a step-ladder in the preserve cellar. “We had no idea; that is, we— we—” He didn’t dare look at Lillian. The man at the table seemed oblivious COUMIUC AOOLK COlini