Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 2 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

224 share is His mercy open. To the birds, four-legged beasts and fishes there is no fire or brimstone after death. ‘hey have no sinful natures. Why should Heaven’s vengeance fall only an man?” Suddenly he stopped and spun around upon the adversary he supposed to be still seated. “But yet!” he trumpeted his new thought. “Tell me this: Do fishes ka’ the privilege of entering the kingdom?” I do not know how Master Eveleigh would have received this. I know that I buried my face in my arms on the tree-limb to smother my mirth, not so much at the odd question as at sight of Hobgoblin’s face when he found himself thundering at thin air. His jaw dropped and the arm he had raised in eloquent challenge dropped to his side. It was then—just as I was about to whis- per: “In the roses, Jack!”—that Ruth Prynne’s face appeared to him among the bushes. What she had planned to do, whether make her presence known or escape, I do not know. Jack Bunyan saw her. He sprang for- ward, thrust his hands into the bushes and all but dragged her out by the shoulder. The bushes closed behind her and covered Master Eveleigh, a glimpse of whom I} had caught crouching there behind her. Ruth’s face was very white and her manner distraught. I thmk now she was at a loss how to act, her one thought, per- haps, being to distract Bunyan from Rich- ard Eveleigh. : As I have said, between meeting with Joyce’s uncle and this moment, Bunyan had quiet forgotten that he came to the garden on tryst. Now he remembered. “Hal Ruth,” he welcomed her. “ Ve ha’ been long on the way. But I whiled it in argument with some Master Cynic who crossed by path, and ”—he looked areund vaguely and passed a hand over his eyes— ‘‘T know not, lass, whether ‘twas real or but some more of my imagining. It was as if I did wrastle with Antichrist.. “ But what ails thee, Ruth?” suddenly noting her distrait manner. “ ay art so pale—and dumb?” “Let me go! Oh, let me go!” she pleaded, trying to withdraw from under the hand on her shoulder. “Nay!” said he. “T will not let thee go unless thou tell me thy name. That is in the Book, Ruth, and it means: ‘ Show me thy true colors.” What ails thee? Why should ye rum from Jack Bunyan? Ye did summon me here, saying ye had need o’ me in trouble. Why? What trouble? For I would mdeed serve thee, sweet lass.” She tried to pull herself together. She spoke, but im great confusion, one word contradicting another: ‘Oh, Jack, I am im great trouble. I mean—it is nothing. That is—I ha’ changed my mind, Master Bunyan. This is what I wished to say to thee. I—I only wished to say farewell to thee, dear Jack, until—until some happier time, when—” Bunyan laid his other hand on her other shoulder and looked down into her eyes. Honest as the day himself in all his acts _and words, he was wont to take another’s “statement literally. And in this case it might well be that the maid wished to meet him alone and bid him a temporary fare- well unti! such time as John’s affairs and her mistress’s ceased to pull her in opposite directions. ‘Until some happier time, lass,” said he softky. ‘‘ Then—then shall this poor Jacob be welcome in thy sight, Ruth? For oh, lass—” His face became tenderly radiant. In that moment he was pliant in her hands. She stopped the fervid declaration he would have made by raismg a little hand to his mouth. He seized her fingers and kissed ‘“And-t was to say for my mistress,” she went on hurriedly, all blushing at the un- accustomed tribute; “ I was to say that she is grateful to you and to master—Master Apprentice—for your aid against Master Slythey, but—but she cannot abide Round- heads — as Roundheads — and her — her uncle hates them all. So, Jack, ye see—” “Eh! So it was her uncle, and no imagining of mine!” Bunyan interrupted. “As slippery as his tongue, by Magog! . But he might hate this Roundhead mere did Jack Bunyan do his duty and report him harboring at Eveleigh Ma—” 3) ARGOSY cComiclbool Cc C©