Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

~ VINGO’S LADY SERPENT. ~—_—_ sighed. ‘ And last night when pa came in - the house, he staggered. It’s the first time he’s touched liquor since Tommy died.” Both pairs of nice blue eyes were fixed steadily on mine, as if they expected an answer to jump right out of them. “Jim and Ed,” Belinda went on, ‘ have been acting so strange. They’ve been act- ing strange to us and they’ve been acting strange to each other. What’s got into them?” ‘“‘T wonder,” I said. “They act as if they’re peeved about something—and they won’t talk,” Christine informed me. “They went off yesterday, one at a time,” Belinda added, ‘‘ and they were gone all day. And the same thing happened to- day. Where are they?” “In the woods?” I suggested faintly. Belinda sniffed and Christine narrowed her eyes. ““Do men get all dressed up and shaved to go into the woods?” Christine asked. ‘Maybe — maybe,” I said _ wildly, “ they’ve quarreled!” At this Belinda snorted aloud. ‘ Those boys have never exchanged an unkind word in their lives. They’re devoted to each other. And what’s got into pa? He’s do- ing the same thing. Yesterday he got shaved and all dressed up and went away. What are those three up to, that’s what we want to know, Buck?” “Tt certainly is mysterious,” I agreed. The two pairs of blue eyes clung to mine more anxiously. “Ts it—some woman?” Belinda whis- pered., ‘Some woman?” I said vacantly. But you can never fool a girl who is truly in love. True love gives to girls the percep- tion of eagles and the divining powers of clairvoyants. They exchanged knowing glances; their almost imperceptible nods implied, ‘I told you so!” Christine whirled on me with blazing eyes. “Who is she?” she cried. A glance out of the window informed me that there was no use trying to wait the issue any longer 361 ‘Her name,” I said, “is Alvina Barnes and—tI think I see her coming now.” : My heart was pounding slowly and with something like a convulsion on each stroke —slow and painful. Yes; Alvina was com- ing, and with her were the twins, cavorting about her like playful puppies. They re- minded me of elephants in a circus. Have - you ever seen a big elephant dance in a cir- cus? There’s something almost indecent about an animal of such size and dignity capering around—grotesque. And watch- ing the twins made me uncomfortable for more reasons than one. I didn’t dare look at the Clayburn girls, but I knew that they were staring at the pantomime as if they were seeing something low and vulgar and disgusting. The twins didn’t see their fiancées until they were at the door. They were giggling like fools when they followed Alvina inside and watching her with a funny look in their eyes. And she was turning from-one to the other with demure, droll glances, as if they were entertaining her beyond words. And the Clayburn girls looked at her as if they would enjoy carving her heart out. No matter what she wore, Alvina would have given almost any woman plenty of grounds for worrying; and this afternoon she had on a dress that was the color of the mist that rises before sunup in the cypress swamps—a pale, delicate green. It was cut in a low V at the throat and it didn’t have any sleeves and it was almost, but not quite, transparent. You could see her warm skin shining under it and it helped you to imagine the soft, enticing curves that lay underneath. And it formed a pleasing contrast to her slim white arms and her white face and her dark red hair. It was a dangerous dress. I mean it. She carried in one hand a small brown- paper parcel. “Good evening,” said Belinda and Christine in the same breath. “This is Miss Barnes,” I got out in a voice that seemed to come all the way from China; “and this is Miss Belinda Clay- burn and Miss Christine Clayburn.” The sisters nodded their dark heads stiffly and each looked at her respective twin. Alvina did nothing but grin at them. Eomichbooks (S@)