Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 19, 1924 — page 163: what you’re looking at

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

THE STOLEN NECKLACE. ‘“Oh, I am wicked,” the girl sobbed, “I am a wicked wretch. Do anything you like with me.” “Tell me, Etelina,” Santiago frowned, “explain! What is it? Did you go out after I left you last night? Tell me what happened, sweetheart.” ‘““No, it wasn’t that,’ sobbed poor Ete- lina as she threw her arms around Santiago’s neck, “‘ I lost the necklace—” Lightning flashed! Thunder roared! Fire and brimstone swept across the face of the earth! Soot decorated the amphitheater of heaven! ‘What, lost it? You must be crazy, Etelina?”’ “Oh,” and the girl hung on to him for dear life, “‘ oh, forgive me, Santiago, darling, listen to what I have to say. Oh, don’t turn away, Santiago. Bear with me, my love!”? “Last night,’ Etelina snuffled, ‘“ when you left me I was so happy, I was admiring the necklace in the pantry when a man, a robber came in. Oh, Santiago, can’t you see how much I care for you? Oh, San- tiago, my heart bleeds to tell you. This man, a raw nasty fellow, I think he came from the slaughter house. He had on a leather suit and he had a big cutlass. He came in and said, ‘Hands up!* Oh, I nearly fainted, Santiago. ‘ Hands up,’ he said,‘ and don’t say a word else I'll kill you.’ And he grabbed the necklace and went like that. ‘IT cried and cried until I didn’t. know what to do. I wanted to come straight to you—but I was afraid. It was too dark. And when Mrs. Kanike came in it was too late to do anything. So I reported it this morning to the police. I went to the cuartel and told the teniente all about it. I was frantic. “T explained: the whole thing to him and he said that they are looking for a -man who has been prowling about the American quarters at New Cristobal. And the zone police are after him, too, Santi- ago. So it might help, smi novio. We might get it back.’’ And Etelina sobbed and hid her face on Santiago’s manly breast. “Tell me you love me, Santiago,” Etelina suddenly looked up, tears in her thirty six cents! — 6388 star-lit eyes. “ Tell me you don’t hate me,. Santiago—oh, hug me, my love.” And Santiago, very reluctantly, you know, held Etelina close to his bosom. “Oh, you hate me,” Etelina sobbed, ‘‘ you don’t like me any more. Tell me, do you really love me, Santiago?” “ To.” ‘And you will always love me, honey?” *¢ [—will.” ‘* And you won’t think I am careless and good for nothing and you wouldn’t think I didn’t value the necklace, sweetheart?” ‘* [—won't.”” ‘And, tell me, Santiago dear, you are not going to worry over the lost necklace? Such a priceless thing—-and here I let a robber come and steal it! Oh, Santiago, tell me you will not worry about it! Tell me you're not brooding over it! Santiago, dear—”’ “ {—am not worrying over it.” ‘And let me hug you tighter, Santiago, because I will work and help to pay you for it. No, don’t interrupt me, sweetheart, Tam determined to do it! I won’t let you lose so much money on account of careless, wretched me!”’ “ Well—” ‘*“ And you'll love me, Santiago, and come often to see me—and marry me, Santiago?” And after an affirmative pause,. “ Come kiss me, Santiago.” And as Santiago, not over reluctantly left Etelina and slowly stepped out into the white, moon-flecked street, he kept repeat- ing to himself, “for God’s sake! Leok what fourteen dollars and thirty six cents cando! Think of it! Fourteen dollars and And here’s Etelina, the beautiful Etelina, the nicest, the finest, the bestest girl.in the whole damn republic, wild, just wild about me. And all for a cheesy fourteen dollars and thirty six cents.” And Santiago waltzed and cakewalked and danced p/enas to the music of the owls and bats and the memory of Etelina’s en- dearing caresses. And while Santiago, lying snugly in his bed, dreamed of the magic pearls and of fourteen dollars and thirty six cents and of Etelina’s head-whirling kisses, a La Garta, O comichbooks ae i we ( =e é slit A! weave y eR SY! ees OP wre hes) we rat A eae: Visas Ms STG » ' : > itn ¢ “we iow ene OP) ee f3y a) t : AS} vis bi, Vikahe's3 ‘. yy sy vay | ; fi sk 5 ye ye AACR NTL eat Pa ATR AC ENE EN SE CURT Ne TAN choke bce aes Ley ia La se Be 1 ip BY ete