Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 19, 1924 — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

D44 Amos still held his head. He was still im a state of suspended consciousness—far, far away! “Tt was one cold day in December.” There was something about Dr. Peck that made it easy for Maria to speak. ‘“ He had gone out to find work—anything—for we hadn’t any coal. Hazel came into the kitch- en, where I was washing dishes. ‘ I’m going to give up high school and go to work!’ she said. It was the bitterest pill of all. We were so proud of her, and we had plans that she should get things in life we’d never had. I leaned my head on the faucets and began to cry. And when I looked up, he had come in. “He didn’t even notice I’d been cryin’, but just sank into a chair, limp-like, with his umbrella all drippin’ on the floor. ‘ Maria, I’m afraid!’ he said. I didn’t know then that he was sick in his head. I just thought he was stubborn about the union. ‘ Afraid of what?’ says I. ‘ Afraid of my- self!’ says he. And then he put his head on the umbrella handle and began to cry, mutterin’ ‘I’ve done what I thought was right!’ It was too much. I pointed to Hazel. ‘ She’s goin’ to work!’ I said sharp- like, ‘ just because you won’t go back to the shop! You can’t have ideals and have children, too!’ “The minute I said it, I knew I’d done wrong. And I knew he wasn’t right. He grabbed the umbrella like a madman. He struck me over the head, and he struck Hazel across the shoulders. Then he tore upstairs and locked himself in all day. We stood outside and beat on the door and called, and heard him blubberin’ inside. We were terrified. He was so gentle and kind always. We didn’t dare call the neighbors, for we didn’t want them to know. ‘Late in the afternoon, he unlocked the door and crept down, all white and shaky. ‘ Maizie,’ he says, ‘ I’ve been in hell! Some- thin’s gone here. I’m afraid for what I'll do. Please put me away while there’s time—before I do it!’” unstrung and agitated, mopped off more rouge on to her handkerchief, and blew her nose. The doctor leaned over and shook Amos by the arm, cups, but no lower. Maria Hodge, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, ‘Amos, look at me!” Amos slowly raised his head. The doctor had magnetic—al- most hynotic eyes. ‘‘ Amos, listen to me! That part is all over. Do you understand? You need never think of it again. Hasn’t Linda told you so? Won’t you tell us about Linda now?” Then Maria saw the tautness of his face relax, and joy transfigure his features. ‘Linda is coming to me now!” He lifted shining eyes—across the buttercups of Maria’s hat to the molding near the ceiling. Involuntarily all eyes followed. Only a too early fly buzzed and flew in: stupid figure eights. ‘“And now she’s come down, and has entered my heart—here!”’ He thumped his breast. His gaze dropped to the butter- ‘Linda is talking to me. She says it is all right. She says I did what was right. She makes me calm. It is as if she took me by the hand. The terror is all gone. She’s right here in my heart!” “Won't you tell us all about it—how she came to you, Amos!” “It was the day of the storm. There was a blue haze after the lightning—like a cloud. I saw her. She came out of the haze—up high—all in short, pink, filmy, shiny skirts, and bare arms, and brown laughing eyes. She smiled down at me— so sweet and kind! And she said to me, ‘Don’t you know me, Amos? I’ve been here all the time, but you wouldn’t see me or hear me!’ Then she came down into my heart, and whispered ‘ I’ve come to stay with you always, Amos—to keep away the dread. Don’t you remember,’” his voice trailed off into a joyous whisper, “ ‘ that neither life nor death can separate you from Linda!’ ” He was lost in a rhapsody. Maria sat, clutching the string on her box of jiumbles. Her senses were pricked— stabbed broad awake by the knives of mem- ories—odor of peanuts and sawdust and elephants—glare of colored lights and flashy costumes—sound of drum and horns and raucous clown cries. <A salt sob shook her. Through the roughness of throat came in a hoarse shout, “‘ The circus!” S==4 A comicbooks (C©)