Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 7, 1922 — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

MAGNIFICENT FOLLY. died the wrong that Orville bas done him and his mother? But for that, Charlie, they would have their money—Mike never would have lost his arm—he would have stayed at home—” “Yeah, and missed his Rainbow Girl!” interrupted Charlie, unconvinced. Iris’s face brightened with the ghost of a smile, but she shook her head sadly. .She had set her mind upon the sacrifice, and no matter how much her heart pleaded, her head would not be convinced. ‘Look here!” said Charlie, aroused al- most to the point of exasperation. ‘‘ You're so straight you bend a little! Mike ain’t botherin’ about that stock. It’s love he wants, not money. Besides, he seld the stock. It ain’t his now. I bought it from him ’way last fall.” “Your” interrupted Iris. explains how it happened to be in your pocket. Oh, Charlie, it was a valuable paper, after all!” And she told him the part the stock cer- tificate had played in his own near-tragedy. “ That’s the first I heard of it,” said he. “ Looks like I hear something new about that fight every day. I'll get it all pieced out after a while. That certificate! Then it was worth all I paid for it!’ Charlie chuckled, recalling the penny he had paid for the stock. ‘“‘ Where is the dang paper? I’d like to see it.” When she brought it, and he had satisfied his curiosity regarding the small bullet prints on its folds, he handed it back to her. “Here, Iris, I’m going to give this to you. Take it and see what it brings you. It’s a lucky paper, as sure as you're alive, for it brought Mike his girl, it protected my life, and there’s no telling what you'll get out of it. Here; put it away and forget all this foolishness about paying him back. You remind me of that mutt you read about —that Spaniard that fought the windmills and such. I don’t want to hear no more about it. ‘“‘ And another thing—TI want things fixed up betwixt you and Mike, so’s I can see his grinning face around here again. How do you expect me to get well when you two are unhappy?” Charlie finished petulantly. “Then that. 261 ‘“‘ Here be comes now,” said Iris, as a well-remembered form came swinging down the street. ‘‘ I—1d have to go.” “Hold on,” said Charlie, seizing her hand. “I ain’t ready for you to go yet.” ““ Yes—yes, I must!” And Iris, blushing hotly, tore her hands from Charlie’s grasp and darted away. He looked after her with a comical ex- pression of bewilderment. ““ Gosh, women’s funny!” said Charlie. CHAPTER XXIV. FROM A DARKENED WINDOW. NOX had absented himself from Mrs. K Dowdy’s as long as he could. The renunciation which he had impesed upon himself had required all his resolu- tion. Although he could deny himself the physical presence of Iris, he could not ban- ish her bright, figure from his mind. He went about his duties with dreams of her in his heart, and sometimes she seemed :so vividly present that he almost found himself callmg ber name. Finally be could endure the strain no longer. He told himself that he must go to Mrs. Dowdy’s merely for the appearance of things. Charlie and the others would take it amiss if he stayed away any longer. He ascended the steps and held out his hands to Charlie. He had seen the girl dart away at his approach, but he allowed no note of disappointment to mar his greet- ing. ‘“ Charlie! My, you are looking fine, old man!”’ His friend, gazing after the fleeing Iris, turned at the words, and answered with un- disguised pleasure: “ Hello, Mike! Where you been keeping yourself?” Knox ignored the reproach in the words, and went on: ‘You'll be coming back to the store soon, won’t you?” “Yeah; I was figgerin’ on going back to- day if you didn’t come,” fibbed Charlie. “It’s the only way I can get a glimpse of you. Give an account of yourself. How do I know but what you’ve embezzled the comicboooks C©