Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 202: what you’re looking at

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

384 “I?” He of the gray hair was decidedty chastened. “I’m the goat!” At that moment there was a commotion and the three young men, Jack’s visitors in the night, burst in. The leader had a black eye and the other two were disheveled. All were dirty, tired, and angry. : Hubert let out a yell of delight as he saw them. ‘“ Bob Daley! Who hit you? And Buly, and George!”’ Rob, after a reproachiul look at Jack, turned to him. ‘“ What’s the big idea of carrymg a black-jacking body-guard around with you, Hubert?”’ “ Huh? I don’t get your” “Him!” Indicating Jack. rT He’s got a Dempsey wallop, and then some! He cleaned up the three of us!”’ | Hubert laughed. ‘ He’s the butler! What were you trying to do to him?” Jack, puzzled, tried to intervene here. He was not quick enough. The elderly gentleman, moving now with the distmct alertness of youth — of angry youthfulness —had approached Bob Daley, the possessor of the black eye. ‘“‘ See here, Bob! Why didn’t you put me wise that there were two coaples? [ wasted all my histrionic effort! I teld you { didn’t - know Denby, that I had never seen haim—”’ “« Shut up, Cardigan’ Give us a chance! Youll get yours!” Bob Daley turned to Jack. ‘‘ Who are you, and where did you come from?”’ Jack, tempted to refuse to answer, thought better of it. ‘I, too, am on my honeymoon. The car breke down, we saw this house, rummaged up some dry clothes, which happened to be servants’ stuff, and got mistaken for servants! He ’—pointing to Cardigan— “and he’’—to Hubert, “ wauldn’t give me a chance to explain; but ” — ruefully — “ they cleaned up two perfectly good dinners we’d cooked for our- selves!’ At that Bob and his companions. burst into kaughter, in which Cardigan joined them after a moment. Hubert, impatient, finally seized Bob, shaking him. ‘“ All right! Let us in on it!” Bob sobered. “TI got wind that you’d ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, rented this place, Hubert, op the ‘qt,’ sight unseen, for your honeymoon. We thought we’d rag you by making you be- lieve you’d stumbled into the wrong house. Cardigan, the best actor in the country in character buiildozing parts; was to make you believe he was the owner, and that he had mistaken you for his new servants, just expected. He was to terrify you so you would pretend to be anything rather than try to cross him, and we followed you so as * to steal in and disable your car so you couldn't get away, and to see the funt We ”—ruefully—" bad a blowout, and got here late, that’s all!” “Yes!” Hubert was scornfal. “ And your fine scheme didn’t work at all!” “ Didn't work?” Bob burst mto unre- strained laughter. “Didn't work? It sare did, only the wrong honeymoon couple got the benefit of it!” “Yep!” Cardigan, who had removed his wig, was reminiscent. “And i got fed, fer once in my life. The best steak 'I ever had!” . Amy was indignant. cutrage!”’ She looked at Lillian. “ Th’he cooked herthelf a wonderful thupper, and that ham ’*—an inflection of disdain—“ ate it, and then th’he cooked another and we ate it!” She wheeled to Bob suddenly. “I hope your black eye thticks to you for thix _ weeks, I do!” And to Lillian: “I’m thorry, really!” In their car, along toward noon, after they had broken away, Liiltan turned in Jack’s arms to look up at him. There was a twinkle beneath her lashes, a shade of maliciousness in ber expression. ‘‘ Are you sure now, darling, that your wife can cook ?”’ ‘“Um-m!” It was an example of mone- syllabic expreseiveness. . She picked at a loose thread in the seam of her duster. “I know,” she added, “ that my husband can fight, and take care of imself, and of me!”’ A moment later she murmured something else, something he could not hear. He took it to be of no importance. She was quoting two words, however: “‘ wal- top!’ »? é< * Dempsey waitlop!’ ” COM WOO <I think it'th an COlini SS