Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 3 — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

THE SOUL OF the canoe, keeping his shoulders level. And paddling didn’t really seem so diff- cult; and every moment as they ap- proached the narrower part of the lake the waves were getting less high. At the end of the fifteen-minute trip, Henfty’s soul, temporarily compressed, had expanded again, bigger, freer, more domi- nant than ever. They landed on another little beach, almost in still water, in front ‘of a little cottage. Henry manfully pulled the canoe well up on shore and stood again facing the girl. ‘““My name is Elsie Morton,” she said. “I’m awfully obliged to you. Won’t you come in a minute and get dry, Mr.—” “ Jones—Henry Jones,” said Henry. “No, I think I’d—it’s pretty late; I’d bet- ter get on home. I’m glad you're safe.” The girl took the paddle from his hand. ‘I’m awfully obliged,’ she repeated. “‘ It was a silly scrape to get into, wasn't it. I’m sorry you got wet.” ‘ Sall right,” said Hemy. you re safe.’’ “Stop in and see me, then—soon. Mother will want to thank you.” Henry looked into her eyes earnestly. “I will,” he said abruptly. ‘“ Good night.” He shook her hand swiftly and turned away. , “Good night, Mr. Jones — and thank you,” she called after him. The plight of Henry Jones in facing his astonished wife that evening might well have alarmed a far more expert evader than he. All the way home he planned what he should say to Martha. He ended by telling part of the literal truth but none of the actual truth: that be had met a friend and gone in a canoe, and they had upset and never, positively néver, would he ever go out in a canoe “Pm glad agai. And Martha, when her first shock of surprise was over, had laughed. Henry never knew whether she believed him or not. For she said nothing, but put him to bed at once—without the pill, smce he de- clared earnestly that the evening’s exercise had made him feel much better. After this first rapturous adventure, Henry’s soul-malady grew rapidly worse. And with its development came-a corre- HENRY JONES. SAT sponding ability for dissimulation with his wife. He ate his meals; he discussed with her the petty details of his business, and _ entered into her own gossip of the neigh- bors, just as he always had. But under- neath it all a seething torrent of emotions possessed him, threatening every moment to tear away the anchor of his life and hurl him adrift. And Henry did not care. He did not have the least idea for what he was headed;* he never stopped to reason it out. He only knew he was happy—riotously, wonderfully happy — and free — free in spirit at last. Now I would not have you believe that all this happened to Henry’s soul that first day. It did not. It progressed onward with steady growth over a period of nearly a month. Henry developed, after that first eve- ning, a sudden passion for billiards; and later for poker, which he told Martha some friends were starting as a twice-a-week lit- tle game. And Martha had listened to his Swaggering statement that ‘a man must have some viees,” with inscrutable eyes, and let him go. Perhaps now she fath- omed—in part at least, for she was wiser far than Henry—the malady with which he was suffering. And so she did nothing, but waited; which you shall see was per- haps the wisest thing she could have done. Henry called upon Miss Morton some — ten times that month—always in the eve- ning. Miss Morton, it appeared, was liv- ing with her mother for the summer only, in this tiny cottage which they had rented. They had been in it hardly more than a month, and fortunately, neither during that time nor subsequently during Henry’s reg- ular evening visits, had either of them needed to purchase a pair of shoes at Dale’s. About himself Henry was reticent. What he told of his affairs was fictitious but plausible. Miss Morton having few friends in the neighborhood, seemed hos- pitably to welcome his calls. Upon the oc- casion of his second visit, he had told her frankly, but with some embarrassment, that he had never been in a canoe before that first evening with her. And he was still more confused, and a little hurt, when (CCOMNMUG DOO UN S Colin