Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

VINGO’S LADY SERPENT. 369 pink tongue as she swung her head and struck. The rabbit, kicking and spinning over and over, sailed up into the air. And when it came down, those little devils were two feet off the ground with mouths wide open, lips skinned back from vicious little white teeth, waiting for it. Dogs and rabbit came down in a tangle. Then came the soft, shivery, unearthly sound of the whistle. Only once—low and quivering. Without hesitation, the fox terriers trotted to her and heeled. Well, she had taught them that trick—heeling—since I had seen her last. But can you imagine it? With their mouths full of hot, fresh blood, that whistle had called them from the kill! They heeled; they fell in sedately behind her, wagging their stub tails, ears pricked, eyes like polished jewels. Not one more glance did they give that dead rabbit. Alvina came toward us with her saintly smile. Her face was rosy from the run and the excitement, and her marvelous red hair had tumbled over on one side. She was intoxicating. Alvina didn’t recognize old man Clayburn immediately. Then something about his gnarled, lumpy old brown hands, or his watery, worshiping old eyes told her. Well, she didn’t laugh. She let out a little cry. Then: “Why! You nice thing!” she exclaimed, and threw her arms around his weather- beaten old neck and kissed him—on the cheek! “ You—you like it ” he croaked when she let him go. “You're simply stunning!” she cried, and she wasn’t using reverse English either in referring to that thousand-candle power suit or necktie. ““T meant the auto,” he guregled. She clasped her hands. “ Did you buy it, Dick?” “Dick?” I said to myself. Can you fea- ture that? His first name was Richard. “Sho!” he said. “ Bought it in Daytona this mawnin’, Like it, Viney?” “It’s beautiful, Dick—just beautiful! When—oh, when are you going to take me for a ride?” 4A “Right now, Viney. Hop in.” She climbed in beside him and off hee went, with the cut-out wide open. About two hours later he brought her back to the commissary and drove on out to his farm. I was back in the post office making out money order reports when Alvina came in, pink and bright-eyed from the ride, ‘We drove down to Ormond and down the beach as far as the Clarendon!” she said breathlessly, then she quieted and came over beside my chair. She laid her hand on my head. ‘ Buck,” she said in a whisper, “ do you still love me?” I looked up at her. “Not after what you’ve done to that old man.” She smiled, sadly. “ You don’t under- stand, Buck. I didn’t tell him to buy that funny suit and that wild car. He just went and did it—all by himself.” “You let him think you’re in love with him. He thinks you’re going to marry him.” ** Listen, Buck, don’t get sore at me. I don’t like people to get sore at me.” “‘ Well, I am sore at you.” “You won’t be when you understand, hon. Honest, I didn’t put these ideas into his head. I can’t help it, can I, if I’m a little bit pretty and men go running after me? J haven’t encouraged him. Ive just been nice to him. And now—now do you know what he says? He says he’ll put his big toe on a shotgun trigger if I don’t marry him. What canI do? Tell me what to do and I'll do it.” “T’ve got enough jobs,” I answered, “without getting you out of the scrapes you get yourself into. You know there’s trouble ahead, with old man Clayburn cut-— ting up this way; and you’ve just about broken things up between the Randolph boys and their girls. What else can you expect but trouble?” Her chin trembled. “ Buck, you’re just plain cruel. You know I don’t mean wie to anybody. Things just happen.” ‘Another thing: your brother is going too far. I said I wouldn’t notice if he‘made a little liquor and sold a little liquor. The O Gomichbooks.co “No,” I said firmly. -