Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 16, 1921 — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

BRASS BUTTONS. 51 Ruth’s eyes fell sedately, but her lips still curved upward and her cheeks dim- pled. “Now, Mr. Lawton, to show you that I’m really not always in trouble, do come to-night to my house. I’m having a dance, and Ill not be happy unless you’re there. Will you?” “In uniform?” he laughed. ‘“‘ Surely—brass buttons and all. I’ve always wanted to dance with a policeman,” she confessed. “Tl be there—sure thing,” he promised, bowing her out of the door. Triumphant and elated, she drove home. ‘“‘ What a lark!” she thought. He was by far the best-looking man of her acquaintance, and at dinner she regaled her family and guests with the tale. The story lost nothing in its telling. Every de- tail was vividly presented to the shouting and appreciative audience. ’ “ Watch out for your policeman friend,” her partner warned later on as he guided her to the strains of the most popular fox, trot. ‘‘ We'll all be pinched if you don’t handle him right.” ~ ‘“My word! There he is!” Ruth gasped, half unbelieving as the tall, blue-coated of- ficer appeared in the doorway. ‘“ Didn’t think I’d do it, did you?” Law- ton gibed as Ruth, in a cloud of filmy blue tulle, met him with outstretched hand. ‘“‘T was a bit staggered,” she admitted as he swung her on to the floor, “ but only delightedly so.” ‘“‘ Wholesome respect for the uniform, of course,” Lawton teased. Ruth giggled. ‘‘ I never knew what fun a policeman could be. I’ve always felt a bit shy of them.” Lawton hooted in derision. ‘“‘ Well, you managed a telling camouflage, then! No ‘one would ever suspect.” Tall and straight, easy of manner, and a wonderful dancer, Lawton was exploited by Ruth as her Jatest find. His tight- fitting blue suit, brassy of buttons, stood out among the conventional black clothes of the men and the frilly, fluffy nothings that made up their partners’ lack’of cos- tume. ‘You must tell me all about the races,” "agreed. he reminded her at the end of the eve- ning. ‘IT wish you could be there. We'd cheer ourselves hoarse on the winner.” ‘You don’t wish it one-half as bad as I do!” Lawton exclaimed feelingly. So Ruth Chester did not go to police court at nine the next morning. Instead, she was speeding south to her beloved blue- grass land. Incidentally, between races and parties, she made it her business to find out all there was to know about the Lawtons—and especially Fred. What she discovered only served to set- tle the pleased anticipatory,smile on her red lips, and when she returned home she tele- phoned him at once, asking him to dinner. He accepted with alacrity. ‘““He seems nice enough,” Mrs. Chester agreed anxiously, ‘“‘ and of course, Ruth, if _ he is one of the Danville Lawtons, he must > D ] be all right. But it is so irregular,” she added, perplexed. ‘Oh, let him come,” Bill, Ruth’s young- er brother, urged. ‘‘ He looks so kind of spiffy in his uniform. We’ve had soldiers and sailors and marines here—but never a cop before this.” ze ,Oh, Billy!” his mother cried, horrified. of Well bring him along,” her father ‘“ He can’t be any worse than some of the others.” So Lawton came—and came again. He abruptly discovered that his duties took him up north on boulevard and riding- path astride his horse. And somewhete in his immediate vicinity Ruth Chester, blond and spirited and blue-eyed, cantered along, lithe and supple in her trim habit. Her friends all laughed amusedly over Ruth Chester and her policeman as the weeks went by, and they began to look for her to tire of this new suitor and to throw him over. But he still remained ee in the running. Summer was on the wane. One morn- ing after a breathless race along a country road, Lawton pulled his horse down to a walk and turned to the glowing girl beside him. “Ruth,” he announced quietly, “ this is my last day. on the force.” Go NOOK = A C©