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

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

542 back again. Carola was immediately dis- covered; she hastily stepped back out of sight. She called her maid. “Good heavens, Ella, what is the matter ~with these people?” Ella was delighted with the sight. “ Cu- riosity seekers, miss,” she said in an awe- struck tone; ‘“ they read all about you in the papers, and they come to see the house.” “So this is fame!” said Carola. It was now time to dress for dinner. Carola and Ella consulted about this mat- ter. But Carola got no pleasure out of the dainty gowns that Ella spread before her, one after another. “Too missish,” she said, wrinkling up her nose. ‘I’m a woman now; I want to register. To-morrow Ill go to Man- del’s and order a fresh lot, according to my own taste.” “Which will you wear to-night?” asked Ella. “Tt doesn’t matter. Give me the pale green with the beads. Hunt about and see if you can’t find a big velvet rose or something to pin on the shoulder.” Carola was appalled by the prospect of the long dinner in solitude. Upon going downstairs she found McQuissick in the lower hall with his hat and overcoat on. “Stay and eat with me,” she pleaded like a little girl. McQuissick reddened with gratification, but stood firm. “Sorry, miss,” he said, “ but I got to go home. If I don’t show myself at home once a day, my old lady she’ll divorce me!” So Carola had to proceed to the dining room alone. The new staff, anxious to show their quality, had lighted up the room as if for a banquet; the big table was love- ly under a bank of pink roses with forget- me-nots and maidenhair. But the single place that was laid looked piteously lone- some, and Carola felt about two feet high under that lofty ceiling. The elaborate ceremony dragged out its invariable course: hors d’ccuvres, soup, fish, et cetera. Having nothing else to occupy her mind, Carola studied her servants. The name- less butler was a fresh importation; he ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. was said to have come direct to her from the Duke of Portland. He looked it. His face was wrinkled up as if his sense of responsibility was strangling him. He stood at the sideboard waving his hands over the dishes like a priest at the altar. The second man, on the other hand, looked like a purely American product, a tall, stalwart youth with beautiful blond hair. He acted as an intermediary be- tween Carola and his. mightiness the but- ler; changing the plates and fetching the food from the sideboard. Outwardly the correct and deferential servant, he had a look in his eye that suggested he knew himself to be a man as well as a servant. ‘“Ella’s friend,” said Carola to herself, “from whom she got the cigarettes. Well, he’s better looking than any of, the young men J know.” While Carola ate he stood behind her chair. She was accustomed to it. The second man was cool, the butler nervous; in passing between pantry and sideboard, the latter slipped on a rug and recovered himself with difficulty. In connection with his awful dignity it was too ridiculous. Carola caught the eye of the handsome young second man, and both were shaken with silent inward laughter. Laughter is a dangerous leveler. They felt like friends immediately. Well, why shouldn’t I make friends with him? said Carola to herself. I said I was going to break all their silly old rules and regulations. “What is your name?” she asked the second man. “ Stratton, miss.’ ‘You are American, aren’t you?” ‘Yes, miss.” It was an unfortunate question. Ameri- can suggested English, and English suggest- ed the cverpowering butler. The laughter which was still churning inside them sud- denly broke all bounds. Carola and her servant laughed out loud together. The butler turned with a look of frozen horror, and of course that only made it worse. When the second man went to the side- board, the butler whispered to him, and the young man left the room not to return. Thereafter the butler served Carola with his own august hands, ~ (E@) ‘om .00K