Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 4, 1926 — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

394 ened at his words, even while’ Lang won- dered at Fenwick’s warning clutch at his arm. Just then the storm roused, and a gust of wind struck the staunch craft amidships. She careened madly, and shivered like a thing with nerves, as a huge billow thun- dered down upon her. The impact threw Judith back, and wrenched her hands from the railing. Stephen caught her as the ship righted, and set her on her feet, thanking the storm for the continued privilege of keeping his arm around her slender shoulders. “Eh! You here?” gasped the chagrined captain in the teeth of the gale, as he spied the girl for the first tifMe. He turned to Stephen. “‘ Take her below!” he ordered. ‘“Can’t I stay up here?” shrilled Judith above the fiendish din. “ I ain’t never seen a storm at sea before!” ‘Leave you on deck to be washed off, and you’d never see another!” yelled the captain. “ You go below! You’ve done damage enough on this craft. I’m not going to leave you up here to commit suicide!” There came a torrential deluge of rain, whipped by the wind in sodden sheets. It seemed indeed suicidal\for the girl to remain on deck. Another winged blast nearly top- pled them from their feet. Judith slipped toward the rail. Stephen swept her from her feet, and staggered with her down the stairs to the wrecked salon. He set her down while they both laughed a little, wiping the stinging brine from faces and eyes. The music salon was in chaos. Fenwick opened the door into the little dining salon. Everything there was shipshape. Judith followed, and stood beside the table in the center of the room, clinging desperately to it as the boat shivered and shook, thrumming on in the teeth of. the gale, and the waves beat against the closed portholes. “Will you remain here, or would you ~ prefer to go to your stateroom?” asked Stephen. ‘“T’d like to stay here,” she confessed, raising wide, startled eyes to his. It seemed that not till this last furious blare of the storm had she realized its menace. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. He bent over her. ened?” ‘“N-n-n-no! I ain’t afraid. But I don’t want to be down here alone. Seems like I’ve been alone all my life. I guess I’m beginnin’ to hate my own comp’ny.” Fenwick’s short laugh was a little grim. “I’m so accustomed to that feeling that I can quite sympathize with you. Wouldn’t you like to remove your hat and coat? It seems oppressively warm in here!” Anticipating his movement to assist her, Judith slipped out of the coat, and dofied the peaked headgear. Her hair: loosened under the cap, fell in a long, curling, twist- ing mass about her shoulders, and far be- low her waist. Unconcernedly, oblivious to Fenwick’s gaze, she coiled the shimmering mesh into a great knot low on her neck. -Then she sat down precipitately upon a convenient lounge as the Psyche lurched terrifically. “I guess we ain’t never goin’ to get to Brazil!” she observed with a wry little smile that was belied by shadows of con- cern in her eyes. . “Don’t worry,” Fenwick reassured. “The Psyche was built with the whole idea of ‘ safety first.’ ” He sat down beside her. ‘ What are you going to do when you get to Brazil? If you don’t care to talk about the past, at least you have no objection to telling me your plans for the future. I don’t wish to appear inquisitive. But since you are ac- cidentally my guest, I feel in a way re- sponsible for you.” “Oh, you needn’t!” Judith assured him with an inimitable touch of her airy inde- pendence. “I’m goin’ to dance, and make lots 0’ money, and be famous!” Stephen smiled at the comprehensiveness of her ambitions and her naive expectation of accomplishing them.. It was his task to disillusion her—at least in part. “I know,” he began gravely, “ but you can’t start out in a strange country, and grow rich and famous all in a day. It takes time and influence for a young girl to make a successful stage career. Why, you don’t even: know the language!” “IT don’t know any language!” cried Judith petulantly. “I'd like to learn to “Are you fright- comicbooks A) =~ (F@)