Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 11, 1925 — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

THE INNOCENT. about Paula. I made that wild ride just to get near you!” She looked out of the window. There was nothing in sight except a row of houses opposite, yet her gaze seemed to see dis- tant skies. “Come on!” he urged, taking her fingers in the only useful hand he had left. “I need you, Beth. I’ve had a rough time. It wasn’t my rough time; it was wished on me. But I had to stand for it, and I want my reward. Come to the ranch and help civilize me.” She did not reply. He saw only her rigid profile, with the light of the window paint- ing golden strands on her brown hair. “ Besides,” he urged somewhat helpless- ly, “ I want you to be charitable this time. I want you to help get me out of jail.” She turned quickly. &< Jail?” “Yes. You see, I was arrested for speeding. The judge gives ’em from thirty to sixty days. If I can only get you to make me happy, we can send my men home by train and then get down the San Joaquin Valley on the nineteenth, early in the morn- ing, and let the judge marry us before he opens court. He wouldn’t send me to jail after he’d just married_us, would he? He’s hard boiled, but he can’t be that hard boiled!” Beth’s head bowed. A pink glow in her cheeks reddened. Her voice was very low: “‘ And would you marry me just to keep out of jail?” “No. If you want, Ill take thirty years in jail, and then marry you afterward!” THE U v 7 THE RIVER 237 Her face was still shielded from him, but he saw she was smiling. “In that case,” she agreed, “ I’ll try to get you free.” The night of the eighteenth was beau- tifully clear. Toward midnight Steve’s car returned in a ferryboat to the eastern side of the bay, dodged the traffic of a mighty city, and climbed up a long, curvy road which led into high hills and up to the mouth of a tunnel shored with timber and lit by many lamps. He stopped the car at the top of the grade. Below him lay a great plain where the lights of nine cities joined in a vast illu- mination. Beyond that was the blackness of the bay, and beyond that San Francisco, Standing out like a diadem of a million jew- els against the great void of the sky and the Pacific. | “My, but that’s beautiful!’ exclaimed Steve. “A city of diamonds! I didn’t like it at first; I got in the wrong way; but I’m a little more tolerant about it now.” “You struggled for that which was right,” reminded Beth. : “And won a rich reward,” he finished. “Look! Beyond this tunnel are the Con- tra Costa hills, and then the big valley and maybe jail; and then home! Our home!” Beth nodded. “Where you go, there also will I go!” she quoted. “ Let’s go, then!” He slammed the big car into gear, stepped on the throttle, and rushed through the tunnel and over the hills and far away. END v HE surface of the river Is ashimmer in the moonlight, And the glory of its gladness Is entrancing in its calm; And my pulses throb and quiver To behold the lovely river, And my heart and soul’s abandoned To the moon-lit river’s charm. James S. Ryan. ‘ y t tJ y Ned f - wy.