Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

ADOLPH’S CLOUD OF GLORY. “ Adolph!” cried Madeline. “’ Madeline! ” He detached himself from the armchair, that had rendered his gustatory pastime less arduous, and loped across the room. “Madeline! My darling!” Madeline held him off, however, while her eyes him in confusion. For Adolph the esthetic, Adolph the svelte, had indeed disappeared. So had the concave hiatus between his cravat and belt; so had the cadaverous hollows beneath his cheek bones; so had his hair. The touching pal- lor that had been the badge of his unre- munerative profession had been banished by the sun, and his eyes were no longer hungry. “ Adolph, dear—your hair!” cried Mad- eline. He raised a rueful hand to his head. “Tn summer—well, it’s cooler this way, darling, but—” “You’ve changed!” “Nothing could change my love for you!” he cried ardently. ‘‘ And you’ve come to me—in answer to my prayers!” This reminded Madeline of her mission. Soberly she took a letter from her pocket. The envelope bore the name of a law firm in its corner. “ There is news for you, dear; you must be brave.” Swiftly Adolph tore open the letter, as swiftly read it. Then he faced her dazedly. “My uncle,” he said, “has died—and left me his fortune.” “Yes, Adolph dear.” “T was his namesake. He disapproved of my art—yet he left me his fortune.” “Yes, dear, I know.” Adolph motioned tragically to the letter in his hand. ‘He expresses the wish that, in grati- tude, I renounce my poetry—renounce it!” “Oh, my dear!” “ How ”—he turned to her fiercely— “ean I accept the money—/is money—if I do not accede to that request?” “But, Adolph dearest, you can refuse it!” Adolph blinked rapidly. Refuse it, yes. Relive those hungry days when the voice of BS muse had become so intermingled . aoe 5 - = ae - “ ~~ “fe - > ——— > a - _——~> ~~ = Ss > 2 - ~ ,, Gu a. -, a fo > 775 with the plaint of his maltreated stomach that he had been unable to discriminate between them! His harried gaze wandered to the cheerful breakfast table and from there to the letter. Then they encountered Madeline’s tender eyes. “ Do you love me, Madeline?” he asked buskily. 7 Oh, Adolph dear, of course!” “You will marry me?” “Yes, Adolph dear!” “Then,” said Adolph with a magnificent air of renunciation, “I accept the money. No ”—as she started to protest—‘ I cannot subject you to a life of poverty, and I must have you!” “ But look, Adolph!” She unfurled a newspaper. From the printed pages his own likeness stared blandly back at him. Over the picture ran the caption: “‘ Missing Heir to For- une.” 3 “You see, dear, it might be easy now. Your picture did get in the paper, and the editor said your poems were most un- usual!” For the moment the appeal of that cov- eted publicity threatened his decision. But a fortnight under*the skillful ministrations of Mrs. Hopkins had sadly undermined his creative morale. He thought rapidly. Cer- fame there would be compensations. For who can say with any degree of certainty what an untried poet might have done if fortuitous circumstances had not deprived him of his pen before he had proved him- self! This apocryphal distinction, at least, he would carry down the vista of his well nourished years. This, at least, was now certain — as was the fortune and Made- line. Thus it was that Adolph, by assuming his cloak of martyrdom, made certain of his fortune and forever preserved his fu- ture wife’s illusions in that best of embalm- ing fluids—insoluble uncertainty. "No, my darling,” he said resolutely, “T cannot subject you to the hardships suffered by Poe’s unfortunate wife.” He sighed as he folded her in his arms. “ After all, a dear, I may: not be a Poe!”’ — comick ooo! = .. “ : ce ag aes aN Tea a ge > ™ 24 =e ss * ee +a —— . eo con = See 7S Seger eee