Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 154: what you’re looking at

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

THE PRANKS than if you had been my husband. Do you understand me, Felix? ” “Yes, Carla, I understand. God bless you!” * * * * Old Sam Millington was sitting alone in a room in his residence that he used as an office, when there was a ring at the door. Such a thing was almost unprece- dented, since the house had been prac- tically closed for a year, but he an- swered the summons, and_ beheld, standing upon the steps, the figure of a young woman. “TIT am Edna Trevor,” she said. * May I cme in?” “Certainly. Step in at once. What can I do for you, Miss Edna? ” “You can do a whole lot, if you will,” she replied, walking briskly into -his .den. “I suppose you know that I am going to marry your son.” “Well, yes,” he answered, smiling. “ He told me about it this morning. I am greatly pleased, and told him so. Pike is a good boy—and a smart one. But it will be some time before he will be well enough to get married.” “ He’s well enough now,” she said, bluntly; and then, while the old cap- italist stared in amazement, she went on rapidly, and told him the whole story from beginning to end, omitting noth- ing, and she did it so quaintly, so ener- getically, and in such plain terms, that before she was half through there were tears of laughter in his eyes. “ You see,” she concluded, “ I would not be married under false pretenses. And then there was Felix, dying to come to you and let out the whole thing, only Pike—the big ruffian !— wouldn't let him, so.I just made up my mind that I’d do it myself. I’m just as deep in the mud as any of them, and I’ve got a right to tell if I want to—and you will forgive us all, won’t you? ” “Edna,” said the old man, and the tears in his eyes were not all produced by laughter now, “ if you will put your arms around my old neck, kiss me, and OF DESTINY. 145 say ‘ Thank-you, father,’ I will promise to forgive.” “You wouldn’t have had to ask me to do that,” she made answer. “I should have done it, anyhow;” and she threw her arms around his neck, kissed him a dozen times, and thanked him with every one. ‘“ Now, one thing more,” she said. _“ Another confession? ” “ No, atrick. Pike is going to sneak out tonight—that’s the proper word— and come to see me. Felix, and Rita, and papa, and Carla will all be there. I want you to come to the house quiet- ly, at nine o'clock. I?ll let you in at the side door, and then [’il conduct you to the parlor, right among the whole lot. I just want to see Pike wither up when he sees you. Will you do it? It will be the funniest thing that ever hap- pened.” “ Of course I'll do it. I your hands, my dear. I expect that you will make a fool of me as well as of Pike.” ‘* Oh, it wasn’t much trouble to make one of Pike. He was quite near it al- ready.” “ T'll play my part well tonight. I'll be the stern and unyielding parent just as long as I can hold out. Tl get even with Pike, never fear.” - And he did. Pages could not de- scribe the consternation on the faces of all when he entered the room, and Pike Millington endured an hour of suffering that he never forgot. When it was all over, the elder Millington added these words to Felix: “I do not entirely excuse you, but I do freely forgive you. It has been a lesson that you will never forget—and you ought not to.” One morning, a week later, Pike was reading the paper when he looked up suddenly, and called out to Felix, who was with him: _ “ Here’s news,” he said. “What is it, Mill? ” “Chapman has shot himself.” “ What? ” COMICMOOOKX I’m putty in | eo