Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

POKER he take Bolling? He can’t do that! I’m sorry, but I can’t spare Bolling from the office unless it’s for an actual life and death matter. You know that, Jim. I thought it was settled that Miss Banford was going with Dixon?” The visitor smiled faintly, deeply, and returned to the examination of his time- table. “You thought dead right!” he observed. It is!” And now he turned the leaves again, while Henry Curlew, after a long and in- quiring stare at the expressionless James, subsided slowly into his chair once more, while Betty, also gazing at James, fluttered her eyelids in the most exquisitely innocent fashion and then dropped them modestly. “Ha! Here we are!” Dixon reported gayly. “One train at eleven and another at twelve. Can we make that one at eleven?” “J—J think so,” Betty said timidly. “ T’ll have to rush home and pack— Just a grip, you know!” ““T suppose you will, kid!” Mr. Dixon grinned down at her tenderly. “ Girls al- ways have to have a lot of frippery along, eh? All right. How long will that take?” “ Not very long, if I start immediately.” ““ Well, you’d better do that,’’ James said sharply. ‘‘ And I will escort you home, Miss Banford.” “Oh!” said Betty. “Ves, It’s too late at night for a young woman to be traveling around town alone,” young Mr. Whitmore added very flatly, and twitched down his coat lapels and glanced about in search of Gorely to fetch his coat and hat. ‘‘ Where’s your coat?” “ But—but—” “Say, pardon me, Whitmore, for speak- ing right out in meeting, but it seems to be necessary!’ boomed compellingly from Mr. Dixon. “ Can’t you see the girl doesn’t want you to do that? Good Lord! Have some consideration for her natural delicacy, can’t you? How does it look for a girl to be trotting around all hours of the night with one of the heads of her firm?” <4 iS PENA “How'd you like it—supposing some- thing of the kind could happen—to have FACES. 71 your daughter or your wife or sister run- ning around with her employer?” ‘““T—I assure you that I should not—” was just vibrating from James, when Dixon, ignoring him, addressed Henry Curlew: “Have you got a car we could borrow? That would save time!” “It is in front. of the house at this moment, I think. JI had some idea that you might fancy a trip to the theater, and the man apparently hasn’t been in for permis- sion to return to the garage. Take it, Dix- on—and I think, if you’re going to make that train, you’d better hurry, Miss Ban- ford.” “Yes, I—I will!” said Betty, and hur- ried away. ‘““ Pardon me, but are you going to escort’ Miss Banford home?” James inquired, and although no sign of emotion appeared upon his face there was certainly something in his voice which Mr. Dixen caught. An odd little smile curled upon Mr. Dix- on’s lips; he looked James up and down and up again. “ D’ye think you’ve going to stop me?” he asked rather astonishingly. ““T had no idea of doing that. a question.” “ All right! I’m going to escort Miss Banford home—and a lot farther than that,” said Mr. Dixon. ‘“ Now it’s an- swered.” After this he waited for further manifes- tations from James. They did not come. James, in fact, had just caught Henry Cur- jew’s eyes; and if there had been some- thing in James’s voice a moment ago, there was something in Curlew’s eye now! The ostensible junior partner clicked his teeth together. Dixon laughed meditatively. T asked “‘ Suppose there’ll be any trouble about’ getting accommodations on the sleeper?” he mused. “TH make your reservations, while you are getting to the station,” James said. “Oh, I think you needn’t do—” “Yes, Jim ‘ll be glad to attend to that,” Curlew supplied suavely. ‘ Your own grip is all packed?” ““ Mine? Oh, to be sure! Hasn’t been touched since I landed here!” the visitor CoOmmicoooks (S@