Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 12, 1927 — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

576 like so much dignity. They like thrills. Polly gave them two lovely ones. Here! Drink this milk and stop being hysterical!” Larry ignored the glass of milk and sat down. “You’re a meddlesome, dangerous wom- an,” he told her. Aunt Sally laughed. ‘‘ What I want to know is, what have you got against Polly?” “What have I got against her?” he gasped. “Yes; what have I got against her?” “TY think,” he answered in a controlled voice, “that you and I understand each other perfectly, Mrs. Islington. You know what I wanted for Polly. You have deliber- ately gone against every wish I expressed. You seized her merely because she was an opportunity to gratify your greed for sensation!” Aunt Sally laughed wildly. on!” “T wanted to see her become what she » “Go on, go promised to be—a fine woman. What is she becoming?” “Oh, you reformers! What? What? Tl tell you, you pathetic deluded thing! She’s becoming the only thing she could possibly become—a fine woman! You are simply obsessed with the notion that she mustn’t enjoy her youth. Just as you are obsessed with the notion that George Washington must be made deadly dull.” She was pacing again, up and down, forth and back, from him to the end of the long rug, pivoting on one heel, returning as if she intended to attack him. Her blond, short hair stood out in wisps, in tags, in tangled knots. One of her transparent stockings was torn and hung down below her knee in a long tongue. Her white kid slippers were almost black. “Never have I heard such deadly con- versation! Didn’t you realize the poor fellow was dead already from excitement? You and your hellish dignity!” Polly looked up. Her face was streaked - with dirt and tears. She stuttered: “ Larry, w-why didn’t you s-stop me?” “Stop you! Stop you from racing up and kissing him? Stop you from grabbing ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. that microphone when I wasn’t looking and making that horrible speech?” Polly was huddled over, her arms crossing upon her breast, her hands clasping her shoulders. “It makes me sick to have you th-think such th-things of me!” Aunt Sally paused beside her chair: “Polly, for heaven’s sake, if you must fall in love, can’t you pick some man who’s amusing?” “I’m not in love!” Polly gasped. “You're both in love. You’ve been in love since you clapped eyes on each other. If not, why do you quarrel so?” “Mrs. Islington, I want you to under- stand—” Larry began frigidly. “I understand everything,” she inter- rupted. ‘“ That’s why I’m so wretched. You’re wearing yourselves out fighting each other. If you weren’t kneeling down and worshiping your dignity every solitary minutes you’d take her in your arms and— and ave it over with! She adores you.” Ae Islington, I assure you—” Larry ickly tried to head this impossible woman off. ‘“ She weeps every time she talks to you on the phone. Her only desire in the world “is to please you—as if any woman alive could please a man like you! Tell her you love her! Get it over with! And then please, please let her enjoy herself a little while!” “Good Lord, Aunt Sally—” Polly began. “IT won’t say any more,” Aunt Sally as- sured her. ‘ You two can fool yourselves, but you can’t fool me.” She had stopped before a mahogany mirror. She was staring into it. “Merciful Heaven, is that me?” Her hands flew to her hair, but did not touch it. They remained suspended beside her head as she gazed at her image fascinated. She spun about. “T’ve just learned that I’m going to spend the next fourteen hours in bed. I'll leave you to fight it out. Hasn’t it been a thrilling evening!”’ Larry and Polly were gazing at her resentfully. The gay widow laughed sadly. “ Larry, my dear, you’re really a marvelous young : 6A Eboo com cS) (E@)