Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

THE DANCE “ But I am so unworthy of such love,” said the girl, dropping her fluffy head, her eyes filling with tears. ‘“Vou are the most wonderful person in the world to me,” he said. “ You are the woman I love!” She smiled at him then with quivering lips, and her eyes shone. ‘“‘ Some day, perhaps,” she said, “ a long, long time from now, I’ll be able to make up to you for what you’ve done for me to- night! If not, it will not be because I haven’t tried. I’m going to begin now and keep trying. I’m going to devote myself to you—only to you in all the world. I’m going to be one with you as never any woman was one with a man before. Not Ruth. Not Juliet. Not anyone! I’m go- ing to be heart of your heart—and soul of your soul! Yours forever—in this world and all the worlds—so long as life lasts!” “My dear,” he said very tenderly, and took her in his arms. She cried a little as he held her close, but her tears were not for grief nor pain nor terror now. She felt that she had never known such calm content—such peace— such comfort. Here she was safe, she knew, no matter what might come. And she thrilled to the touch of his lips on her forehead and her eyes. It was Moffat Fielding who presently knocked on the door and brought them back to a realization that time was passing and they had much to do. “ Well?” he asked, putting in his head when they called for him to enter. He came in quietly and shut the door and placed his back against it. “Have you decided?” “Ves,” said Garry quietly, “ we are go- ing!” He nodded complete approval. “ Good!” he cried with honest convic- tion. “ Joan has everything planned for you. Figured it out while you were talking it over. She says you can have Miss Ken- dall’s maid meet you at the steamship dock with her things; the maid can pack and go there, you see, while we’re knocking out a minister in Jersey.” “Jersey? Why Jersey?” asked Kath- erine. OF DEATH. 601 “‘ Because you need a license here. Joan and I will come as witnesses. And if you mean to go—you’d better do the phoning quickly. Silvers is not about now, but he may turn up any minute to complicate things.” “Till phone Ellen,” said Katherine. ‘Are you strong enough?” asked Garry. “Quite! And she’d be alarmed if she did not speak to me personally. I’ve got to tell her what to bring, too. I want my nicest things—my most becoming ones.” Garry smiled, and called the number for her, and she was presently in conference with Ellen, who adored Garry, and _ thor- oughly approved of any wedding plans that included him. She had been more worried than any one else over her baby’s interest in Da Costa. So she went about her hur- ried packing now with a light heart and a song on her lips, despite the lateness of the hour. She was an unusual maid. ‘What next?” asked Garry of Fielding, as Katherine finally hung up. “Tf you’ve got a valet, arrange about your things. Then write a note for Miss Kendall’s brother. Better to notify him that way, Joan thinks, so there won’t be so much fuss.” ‘“T quite agree,” said Katherine. “ He’d certainly insist that I stay and face the music—for the sake of what people might think of my running away. But I—I want to be romantic this once, even if it is fool- ish! I want to elope with the man who wants me whether I’m a murderess or not! Afterward, if we must come back and see this thing through, we will. But we shall have a little happiness first. Eh, Garry?” ‘A great deal of happiness,” said Garry. And then, almost sternly: ‘“‘Write your note to Jack, now, while I phone my man!” She sat at Silvers’s big desk and wrote it on a big sheet of Silvers’s paper. The heading was a playing card, heavily em- bossed in colors—the King of Clubs. ‘““My darling Jackie:” she wrote. She had addressed him in that way since his early college days. I am running away with Garry—and we're going to be married. I can’t tell you where we are going because it is better, for the present, that you be unable to give the au- Gomichbooks. com