Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 12, 1927 — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

62 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ; she could utterly depend, and to him she > now turned as a frightened child seeks its natural guardian. She might not love Jim Brent in the full meaning of the word, but was assured that he loved her. She could depend on the instinctive decency of his character, and thrilled a little at the thought of the effect her beauty would produce. After all, they were promised to each other, and between them were bonds of happy memories not easily broken. So, as a menaced craft seeks shelter from the gale, she turned toward the far distant Victrix Mine.- The venture was quixotic, and perhaps daring, but in all God’s world there was no other place to which Sylvia Denby felt safe in turning. Four days later she was gliding down the Mersey on a Canadian liner bound for Montreal. The arrangement had not been made without difficulty, for she had little money. After careful thought she had de- cided to travel second class; it meant that she would arrive in Montreal not quite empty-handed. ~- Then came the question of her identity. If King desired to trace her, as she felt assured that he would, it would be only natural to examine the passenger lists of various sailings for America. She had hesi- tated a good deal, until, under pressure of this new anxiety, she gave her name as Sylvia Dart. As such it was now entered in the second- class list, and the sound of it rather in- trigued her. A good-natured steward had found her a chair not far from the white rail that marked the division between first and second class on the lower promenade deck. Thus installed, she stared thought- fully at the green coast of Ireland, while her book lay unopened on her lap. She was happier now, much happier. Her quarters were not particularly comfortable, but the plunge had been taken, and she was entering another world—a world in which at least there would be no fear. Hardship—well, she was not afraid of hard- ship if Brent was the man she believed him to be. Romance—yes, there was every promise of romance. And the future was on She was smiling a little at this thought when a shadow fell on the deck beside her. She lifted her head and looked straight into the face of Marcus King. —_-- CHAPTER YV. IN THE TOILS, Hs. is Miss Dart?” King inquired coolly. She sat still, unable to answer. The rest of the ship had ceased to exist, and she was conscious only of this unes- capable presence. ‘This is quite unexpected to me,” he went on, “and I’d no idea you were on board—or at least that Miss Dart was on board. Are you still horribly angry with me?” She gazed at the horizon, not trusting herself to meet his eyes. “Yes,” she said under her breath. “ Could I be otherwise?” He beckoned to a steward, tipped the man, and settled in a chair beside her, ‘Look here, please don’t misunderstand when I say that I’m sorry I frightened you, and that’s the only thing I’m sorry for. You see, it was largely your own fault for being what you are and looking as you looked those two evenings. “ You think I was outrageous, but I as- sure you I was no more so than any man of my type and temperament would be under the circumstances. And you know that women aren’t always fair in matters of this kind.”’ ‘What do you mean?” Sylvia demanded stiffly. “ Very few women, especially young women, know how often men are tried when exposed to the flame of beauty. The kind of man I mean responds instinctively. He is invited and allured by the sheer existence of beauty when, very often, no allurement is intended. The time, the place, and the surroundings, all have their effect. So don’t be angry when I say that you were a bit too impetuous in your departure from Shadow Manor.” Sylvia found it difficult to reply. There was a frankness ome him now Pas Ee pean FOIE DOO com =e gers a of ae gods. ” ee —— cue > - . a¥ a — s - - - eee . ee ei . ag a com - s gas =f = eae a te a es ee { 5 mae “= <* = = me = Seg hee Soe ge eae _ “ * i ee = * * ; Ce aoe os pine me ee eee ee res AS =r) wey ; Es a fa er — Py “4 onal ee St al = Io ee