Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 16, 1921 — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

110 and of photographers who might have known of such a workman in their line proved fruitless. So Geely she went back to Caris- ford. e It was late afternoon when she arrived at Ferintosh House. Ruth met her, brimful of excitement. “ He’s here!” she announced. “Heer Who?” Mr. Cassilis.”’ Glory Adair stared at the girl. “ How did he find his way?” she demand- ed sharply. ‘I never told him.” « Nor E> Ruth looked away from her a dubious moment. But then her conscience vindi- cated itself. “I invited him,” she said. “Oh, you needn’t frown, Miss Adair. He’s a gentle- man—I just know he is—and he’s here, anyway, so it can’t be helped. Mother in- sisted that*he stay fer dinner and meet Captain Grant.” Glory Adair fervently hoped that Cassi- lis weuld go before Tripp came back. The next minute, though, she recognized, with a sinking heart, that the damage had been dene. CHAPTER XXI. ANTAGONISM. T dinner Ruth sat next to Cassilis. Captain Grant had come later than usual, so that there was barely time for Mrs. Ferintosh to introduce the two men before dinner was served. Robinson waited at table, as was usual on state occa- sions. Captain Grant was in his customary good spirits. He chatted with Miss Adair, smiled across table at Ruth, and exchanged a few friendly words now and then with his former comrade in arms. Cassilis was oddly unresponsive. The man’s taciturnity left an unpleasant im- pression on the company. Only Mrs. Fer- intosh seemed not to notice or be oppressed by it. From time to time Cassilis glanced up from ‘his plate to fix a searching gaze on ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Grant. But of this searching gaze the cap- tain seemed quite oblivious. “This is better than the Somme—eh, Cassilis?” he challenged. “Tl say it,” agreed the other in a tone strangely dead and unemotional—as though he were preoccupied with bitter thoughts. He turned to Ruth and whispered. She colored a little and nodded assent to his question. Glory Adair knew enough of lip- reading and human nature to surmise what was the query Cassilis had voiced and to which Ruth had responded with that flush and the accompanying nod. “Your fiancé?” Did the fact that Grant was Ruth’s fian- cé—as Mrs. Ferintosh had stated in intro- ducing the men—account for the evident embarrassment of Cassilis and his coldness toward Grant? Was it the difference in their rank—Grant a captain, Cassilis a non-com —that oppressed the newcomer? Surely not, for to-night, in civies, they met on the same secial plane. ° Or was there, back of these things, some shadowing incident that dated back to the time when the men served together over- seas? These surmises occurred to Glory Adair, as she noted, more than once, that curious- ly intent stare with which Cassilis repeat- edly regarded Grant. The dinner, how- ever, was nearly over when she became sud- denly conscious that, beneath his gaiety, the captain entertained something of the same hostility toward the newcomer. In the sitting-room, afterward, Grant proffered his cigarette-case. “You remember this, Cassilis?” he said with a smile. “It went with me through the Somme.” “No,” returned Cassilis shortly. “ Sorry to say, captain, I don’t remember it.” With which Cassilis opened his own eigar-case and selected a _ cigar. He glanced inquiringly at Mrs. Ferintosh. ‘By all means, Mr. Cassilis,” approved that lady. She could not have missed the flash of tacit hostility; but she hid her recognition of it very well. © Cassilis smoked in silence for some mo- ments. Glory studied his” face; then her eyes dropped to his hands. Yes, he did Amicbooks (C@ S| (C@