The Argosy for May — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

THE away! Hold him, some of you, out there! It is beginning to look as though I shall want him.” CHAPTER XI. OH, WHAT A DIFFERENCE IN THE MORNING! THERE was, of course, nothing else for Rock but to give Anita the straight story of the bonds from beginning to end, and although he spared George all that he possibly could in his recital, it did not take her long to perceive that her brother had been saved solely through his friend’s courage and readiness of re- source. ‘“Oh, Harry,” she cried, ‘‘ it seems to me as though you were always coming to the rescue of some member of our family! I wonder if there was ever before any one so dependable and absolutely square as He felt like a whipped cur; for all the time she was praising him, the thought of that Chicago draft kept rising to his mind to spoil his pleasure in her com- mendation. Neither did he tell her of the scrape he was in; for he knew that she would immediately offer to help him out from her own resources, and he did not think he could quite bear that. As to going his bail at the police sta- tion, that was a mere formality, and he interposed no objection when she insist- ed on doing it; but when it came to ac- cepting a substantial obligation at her hands to rid him of a load resulting from his own follies—why, he told himself, he would rather starve and die in the gutter! Yet it was a sore temptation to confide in her, if only for the happiness of having a secret between them and to receive her sympathy and pardon. He longed to lay bis poor, bruised heart at her feet, and then if she granted him absolution, he did not care what might happen to him. But he dared not speak, and have her offer monetary aid to him, only to despise him ever after. So, as he took her home, she noticed that he was not the frank, open comrade he had always been to her, and she won- dered grievingly what could have changed him. TIME FOR ACTION. 217 He made her promise, though, before he left, that she would not speak of George’s shortcomings to her father upon the latter’s return, and as she agreed to this a passionate tremble crept into his voice which made her glance down quick- ly and wonder if his previous restraint had been only shyness, and if he was about to speak the words her heart con- fessed she was ready to hear. But he said no more; merely pressed her hand, and without a word went quick- ly away, leaving her still wondering. She did not understand the reason of the tremble in his voice, nor why he had exacted the promise. ‘The latter was be- cause he had made up his mind to confess all the circumstances of his own scrape to old Daniel G. upon the morrow, and he did not wish to appear in the light of trading for mercy upon the favor he had been able to render the son. The tremble in his voice was due to a sudden realization that after his story was told he would have to resign definite - ly and forever the dream he had held so long. Old Daniel G. might permit him to retain his position in the bank, but receive him as a husband for his daugh- ter—never ! still he held manfully to his resolu- tion ; for he knew it was the only square and honest thing to do. But, oh—as he said to himself that night while he tossed upon a sleepless couch, trying to conjure up some way of avoiding the unpleasant necessity—but, oh, he would rather have every tooth in his head pulled out slowly, one by one! Daniel G.’s scorn was not a pleasant thing to face. Yet, rack his brain as he would—and he had done little but this ever since the problem had risen to confront him—no other suggestion seemed to offer itself. He must tell the stupid, silly story over to that stern, grizzled old man, and take the consequences, whatever they might be. Slowly and haltingly he wended his way to the bank, like a boy on the way to school expectant of a whipping. He showed small zest for the preliminary duties of the day, but kept casting fre- quent glances toward the door of the little office marked ‘ President,’ as though equally apprehensive that its occupants might or might not appear. One other thing he did, too. He hunted CORNICLOO© S (©