Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 13, 1920 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

= Winnie Fr HE prospective heir to the house of Edwards had been the subject un- der discussion. Robert Alexander Edwards naturally supposed. it would be an heir. “T think we’ll have a private instructor for him when he’s about five or six—a boy picks up such bad habits at public schools,” he had made the mistake of saying. . “A boy! Who said it’s going to be a boy?” Miriam had pouted. ‘1 don’t want a boy. They’re such responsibilities. And besides, you can dress a little girl so much cuter.” “T’d sort of hoped it would be a boy,” Robert said. ‘“‘ I suppose all men want a boy at one time or another. And a boy -really isn’t any more responsibility than a girl—all things considered. Seems to me—”’ “There you go,” Miriam _ interrupted petulantly. ‘“‘ You don’t want anything I want since we’re married. _You used to agree with everything I said. Now you're all changed. I’m sure you don’t love me the same as you did then. A man never loves his wife like he loves his sweetheart.” Robert knew, of course, that he loved - Miriam more now than he had beforé they were married—that he loved her more each day, in fact. But being sure of - these things himself wasn’t convincing Miriam. And he did so want her to understand. He tried in his own feeble way to explain. eeman S ‘I wish you wouldn’t say those things, Miriam, dear. If you’d just think a min- ute you’d know they aren’t true. You must know that I love you more than any- thing in the world.’’» ‘Then why don’t you ever agree with me now? Why don’t you want the things I want—want to do the things I want to do?” Robert probed the most remote recesses of his mind for words with which to ex- plain. These failing him, he resorted to a language which they both understood. ‘“Why don’t you, dear—why don’t you want the things I want?” Miriam pleaded. ‘Of course I want the things you want, sweetheart,” he soothed her. “ But I do so want a little girl.” “And if you want a little girl, then I want a little girl, too—and a little girl it’s going to be,” he replied. And a little girl it was. Then came the eventful time of choosing a name. Robert had held out for Miriam —for the mother. Miriam had held out for Judith, because she liked the name, she said, but principally because she had a wealthy aunt. who honored that name by bearing it. ‘““She’s got your eyes, dear, and every- thing—she looks just like a little Miriam— I think she really should have your name,” Robert had mildly urged. ‘But I don’t like Miriam—you know I don’t—I despise it. And besides I want 370 NiGbooks (@) (EC) mn ©)