Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 2 — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

288 Jack wrote him politely at the apartment address, thanking him, and enclosing the amount of the loan. ‘In the resumption of his work Jack found a keen delight, but he was mostly interested in Mary. The girl, caught once off her guard,-was extremely careful with him; but he saw her every night. Radiantly beauti- ful, she fascinated him. With an ability to talk on any subject, she caught and held his admiration. ‘Together they dined, took in some show, and went to a cabaret after- wards. Of his love she could have no doubt, and he was pretty sure of her. But the subject remained taboo. On the day he came down on the bus in his own new clothes, and arranged for his quarters at the Chemists’ Club, she invited him to her home for dinner. That, he thought, meant an end of his probation. He had phoned her as usual, and, never hav- ing had her street address, he asked for it. As he wrote it down he’ smiled, reminis- cently. She lived on West End Avenue. He wondered, on the trip up, whether others would be present. He remembered in a dim sort of way that her father was re- tired, and that she had a brother. The taxi stopped and as he looked at the apartment building he gasped with surprise. It was the same one from which Dupree had taken the suitcase. Here was a coin- cidence! She greeted him at the door. “ We'll be alone, Jack, except for uncle! He’s per- fectly absurd, but you'll like him!” She led the way in andl stood aside. He entered the room, and none other than Dupree himself rose to greet him. “Mr. Wells, I’m glad to see you, and—”’ Jack sank into a chair. His eyes trav- eled helplessly from Dupree to Mary. Mary, puzzled, turned to her uncle. ‘Have you met Jack before, uncle?”’ ‘You introduced him to me once your- self, Mary, four years ago, when he hadn’t sense enough to know a good-looking girl when he saw one, and—’’ Dupree’s eyes rolled around to Jack’s with a twinkle, and his mouth dropped with humorous antici- pation. She flushed. ‘‘ Was Jack the young man you recognized on the ferry from Jersey, THE ARGOSY.. Se who didn’t recognize you; the one you wanted to talk to and for whose benefit you — pretended you were unable to handle your car?” ‘He looked down at the heel— I knew if he had the stuff in him he would step up and offer his help, and—” ‘““* And—’”’ she mimicked. She faced Jack. “ Uncle’s the best driver in New York City—for a man of his age and fool- ishness! That vacuum tank clogs every once in a while; and he knew. what to do! But instead of calling you by name he pre- ferred to hold up the ferry full of ma- chines!” Angry, she confronted her uncle again. ‘““ Now I know why you acted.so peculiarly and kept me hanging around the Astor, and then deserted me and left me flat with the tickets to that matinee. How could you be sure I’d walk down that particular alley and see Jack? I might not have recognized him. Bah!” Jack suddenly gathered his wits and re- gained the use of his tongue. He rose and took Dupree by the arm. ‘“ The clothes!” he queried. ‘‘ Who is your nephew?” Dupree’ actually grinned. “ Her brother!” ‘“And the apartment, and Oscar?” ¢¢ His! ) Mary took Jack’s arm. ‘‘ Come on! Uncle’s had his little joke, and now I want to show you our view!” Jack, however, had one more question, and he turned in the doorway. ‘“‘ What was in the suitcase?” ‘ Firebrick, my boy! They were fixing the flue— This is a new building, but the flue was defective, and I thought—” Mary, however, took Jack by the coat- tails. ‘‘ Come on! Uncle thinks he’s an actor! That was all put on, Jack! He wanted to see what you would do!” She smiled suddenly. {‘ Now that he’s put the seal of approval on you—”’ In the course of time, in the other roorn— before dinner, but why not—he asked her an important question and her answer, pre- viously considered, was prompt. “Yes, Jack!” Nestling, she had something to add. ‘“Isn’t uncle perfectly absurd?” she asked. 9 Arcosy MICLOOOK Cc C@