Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 189, No. 4 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

500 ing health and the weather. Then Sylvia said: “Teddy, wouldn’t you like to take me out to dinner to-night—somewhere where we can dance? I’m so lonely.” “ T’d love to!” Teddy exclaimed with en- thusiasm which rang so true that the most expert ear would have been deceived. He didn’t want to take Sylvia out to dine and dance to-night. He had wanted to go to the amateur fights at his athletic club; but he hadn’t the heart to turn Sylvia down. ““ What time will you call?” “* About seven?” Teddy suggested. “T’ll be ready, Teddy. You’re such a dear! Good-by!” “ Good-by,” said Teddy, listlessly, and turned back to Miss March. The promise of summery romance and adventure was no longer shining forth from her big, blue eyes, and her pink lips were no longer curled in their tempting smile. Summer skies were threatened by a squall, Her eyes were murky now and half-lidded, and her sweet mouth was pouting. Nor was the atmosphere cleared when, — about an hour later, Clara Jennings tele- phoned and asked him if he would take her to lunch. Obediently he said that he would be delighted. And when he next glanced in Miss March’s direction, she was giving him a look that could be described only as ven- omous. That gave Teddy Armbister something to think about. His private secretary was jeal- ous of these girls who were calling him up all the time, just as these girls were—or pre- tended to be—jealous of one another. In short, the predicament in which we find Teddy was anything but painless. Many men would have given their fortunes to enjoy only a little of his popularity— charming, beautiful girls calling him up all day long, begging for a little of his time! But Teddy Armbister hated it. He was ‘inflove with none of them, but he could not bring himself to hurt their feelings. He had been brought up rigorously to believe that women were tender creatures, with fragile bodies and delicate sensibilities; meant to be protected physically and spiritually by big, strong men such as he, and he had learned his lesson well. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Many a spoiled, petulant girl he would have loved to take firmly by the hair and drag her this way and that; but he was never anything but courteous, gentle and considerate, no matter how unreasonable, how inconsiderate they were. And natu- rally they took outrageous advantage of him. Such men as Teddy Armbister are grist to the mill of all women. It was along about eleven o’clock when Teddy became conscious that thesbrisk clat- ter of the typewriter in the small room ad- joining his had ceased. He became further conscious that the tiny uproar of its indus- try had been stilled for quite some time. He wondered uneasily what was wrong. He had given Miss March severaltimportant letters, and she should have brought them in to be signed long since. As he waited, he heard that which sound- ed suspiciously and sickeningly like a muffled sob. He waited still longer; and again from the small adjoining room was wafted the sound of a muffled sob. Teddy Armbister drew in a long breath and his lids dropped down halfway. Of private secretaries he was becoming more and more suspicious. The last one, Miss Jameson, coming back from lunch one day, had impulsively thrown her arms about his neck when he helped her off with her coat. The one before that —a Miss Eldridge—had impishly sat down on his knee one morning when she came in to take dictation. To be sure, it was done in a spirit of in- nocent play; but Teddy Armbister believed in keeping business and play, however in- nocent, distinct and separate, and he had, as tactfully as possible, got rid of them both. He could not know, of course, how ap- pealing was his courtly, rather old fashioned attitude toward women which his Aunt Priscilla had instilled in him, or how allur- ing, to feminine eyes, was*his John Barry- more profile, his Tommy Meighan smile and his Buster Keaton gravity. He did know, however, that if he was reading the signs aright, one more private secretary was soon going the way of her predecessors. Gomichboo <S (EO)