Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 19, 1924 — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

632 “Don’t you want me to hot you some me! of that sancoche, Santiago—”’ ‘By George, yes!”’ “I boiled it for the master,” Etelina cried, “‘ but I want you to taste it, Santiago, it is so good.” ‘ Bring it out here, Etelina,” Santiago anticipated the treat with a smack of the lips. ‘‘ Let the noble and worthy Santiago sample the sancoche that the beautiful Ete- lina, with all her skill, boiled for the honor- able American, Don Jota Kanike.” After the proper sampling of which, San- tiago again relapsed into seriousness as he wiped his lips, admired Etelina again, and felt for the necklace in his pocket. “T said I have got a surprise for you, Etelina,” Santiago repeated, fondling the buttons on his coat. ‘What is it, Santiago, mi novio,” Etelina softly answered. With the air of a connoissieur, he looked at Etelina’s star-lit eyes, at the mound of black flowing hair on her head, that often reminded him of zephyrs stealing up from the bowels of the sea on a black moonless night; at the curves of her comely crimson lips; down at the contours of her shapely bronze neck; at the depths of her swelling womanly bosom. ' Santiago felt for the necklace in his pocket. ‘“Etelina, lady of my heart, dream of my youth, keeper of my soul, I present you this—as a slight token of my undying love and affection for you.” He rose, unfastened the necklace, put it around Etelina’s neck—and grabbed his hat. Before the girl could realize what he had done, Santiago, the lordly suitor that he was, poised on the threshold of the pantry, threw out his fingers like a Georgia negro preacher blessing his awe-inspired flock and said farewell to Etelina. “ May God bless you,” Santiago piously whispered. “May He bring eternal rest and peace to your soul.” Out in the street Santiago pranced like an unbridled mare. “‘ Paste!” He sang and danced and two-stepped, “ Paste! For fourteen dollars and thirty-six cents I’ve got Etelina for the rest of my life! Fourteen dollars and thirty six! And that marine thought he was putting something over on slammed open. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, Fourteen dollars and thirty - Six cents!”’ And Santiago, quite uncontrollably, waltzed and one-stepped the latest Spanish madrigal. In the pantry, Etelina danced and cried at her wonderful fortune. She took the necklace off, put it back on again, felt it, admired it, looked at it on her bosom— “Oh, Santiago,” she murmured, “ you are a darling! How I love you!” Oh, ii Mrs. Kanike could see her now! “ Mrs. Kanike,” Etelina shouted to the empty pantry. “Look what I got.” No, she wasn’t in. If the girls near where she lived could only see her now! If Vi and Maggie and her sister Zenobia, whom her mother had “ given” to an American lady going to Boston, could only see it—her lover’s beautiful gift to her! All of a sudden the door of the pantry A man, a gruff, mountain peasant type, with a machete dangling at his hip, strode in. Murder curled on his tight contemptuous lips that shone like a strip of onion skin. Etelina stopped, open mouthed, as if asphyxiated, the necklace lying in the palm of her frightened hand. 3 “ Give me that!” he swore, seizing the necklace, ‘‘ and remember, if you cry out, Til cut your blooming throat.” He was gone. Til. In the morning Santiago blasphemed at the sound of some one pounding on his door. “Que cara! Open! Who is it?” “Tt is me, Etelina,” a voice cried faintly. “FEtelina! Wait!” Santiago shouted, “Don’t open—” There he was, half- dressed, his clothes scattered all over the room, his hair uncombed, plasterless, with the skull cap he slept with still adorning his head—oh, why did she come so early? Racing into a dressing robe Santiago, sartorially perfect, met Etelina on the balcony. “Oh, Santiago,’ Etelina flew into his arms sobbing, “ oh, i novio, what will you think of me?”’ “ Come, Etelina, darling, tell me, what is it?” oO Eomichbooks:co *