Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

696 “ An idea of what?” “ Of the end of such a trail?” “What does my ghost yonder among the white flowers say?” “‘She is not talking at all. smiling.”’ “As mute as that?” “Tt is all that my heart desires.” And the words struck home in her. They beat down barriers. In an instant the thought of him was admitted into some heart of hearts where it had never gone be- She is only fore, where the thought of no other man had ever gone. She found herself about to say: “Do you mean it? Are you seri- ous?” But she held that-impulse under check. Of course he did not mean it. It was all jest. It was all game. And yet, why was it that her heart was _ racing and her breath so short? Why was it that a wild happiness and a wild fear began to grow, began to rise in her throat? And it seemed to Olivetta that the meeting among the white flowers had been, indeed, a ghostly meeting long ago—it seemed that she had known him many years—that he had returned for an instant only after the long separation and that he must go again at once. Such a rush of thoughts poured into her mind that she was dazed. She arose. She felt that she must put a distance between them in order to be safe. “ Are you going in?” he asked. “Yes,” she said. “ T have offended you?” “Of course not. Only—” “ Vou will come back?” cc No” “‘T’ll wait for you.” He did not seem to have heard her denial. “ After all, the best of the evening is still before us!” : She walked hurriedly across the garden to the house, ran up the steps, and entered the hall. There, in the shadow, she stopped short. With a vague eye she saw her father in the big library at the left talking earnest- ly with Samuel Chester Logan, who was leaning over the globe and, as he listened, turning it idly—the great inlaid steel globe which had been the pride of Commodore Dascom. How well she could remember that terrible old man as, on many an eve- | ee é —_> oJ Pact a Sai et IO oak > = ~~ rs } Ng PO a ye P BS ee ee ek: ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. — ning, he leaned over the globe and pointed out his travels. How his wild white hair had stood on end as though he perpetually sat in a high wind—how his deeply shad- owed eye had burned out at them. Truly, it was easy to believe that the blood of the Red Captain actually flowed in the commo- dore’s veins! She turned away from that picture and faced toward the outer night again. What must John Hodge be thinking of her after her foolish flight? And why had she run away? She stepped to the door of the library,-and when her father and the cast- away rose, she waved them back to their chairs. She had been strolling, she told them, and when they invited her in, she declined. The night was still too young. “And where’s John Hodge?” asked her father. “I don’t know. I think he’s down by the water,” said Olivetta. She bit her lip as she turned away. Why had. she lied about Hodge? With burning cheeks she went back into the cool of the night, went angrily. She would make her excuses. She would bid John Hodge good night, and then she would be gone. She found him in the same position, his head back, his hands clasped about his knee. “I had to make my excuses to my father and Mr. Logan,” she said. “‘ And now you are free for the evening?” he suggested. “‘ And now I must go in,” she said. Sud- denly she flushed hotter than ever. Once she had left him, why had she not stayed away? Why did she come trooping back here to report progress like a child? Yes, and John Hodge, as he stood up for her, was laughing softly. No doubt he saw how ridiculous her behavior had been. “John Hodge!” she cried at him. “ Why are you laughing?” ‘““T have stopped, you see.” *“‘ John Hodge, you were right. There is some. sort of moon magic in this garden to-night. My head has been whirling!” “You, too?” said he. ‘‘ You, too?” He came toward her. She retreated, but she had gone weak at the knees. She could not move quickly enough to avoid =e it cami ese ceanecireens all?... oS Comicbooks.cor