Argosy All-Story Weekly — "Sea Marauders" — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

rN 4s oe Sy we Figat : be thee yt s i ke 442 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. inevitable that something would put a stop to the blissful mornings on the beach. Forbes would not dare to tell tales on Miss Lovering, but he would in- form her that he knew of her morning swims with the wireless man, and most likely she would stop coming. If she was in love with Forbes she would do what he asked. What did she care if Steve Reardon was deprived of his glimpses of heaven? Later he saw them playing tennis. - That night there was a dance at the big house, and Steve, putting his pride in his pocket, strolled up to the rest- dence, went around on the back porch and looked through the open but screened window into the ballroom, in company of three or four servants. He saw Mildred dancing with Forbes. Evidently they were in accord. A phonograph with a loud speaker was playing a fox trot from a recent Broadway show, and Mrs. Balch, at the grand piano was playing it in har- mony with the machine with the result of an admirable orchestral effect. <A valet swept a maid into the dance on the porch, and a girl touched Steve on the arm. “Vou dance wiz me?” said Mrs. Balch’s pretty Parisienne maid. He shook his head. “I can’t dance,” he replied. “ Bah,” she retorted. ze swelled head?’ =: Steve left her and returned to his quarters. Even there he could hear the music very plainly. He was shut out from elysium by a high wall of gold. “You have E. rose at six next morning, and at seven, in his bathing suit he lay on the sand with no expec- tation of his enterprise being reward- ed. Then a patch of red appeared on the porch, a new bathing suit which contained the girl with the red gold hair, She scampered down the avenue of royal palms, and, in a moment, stood upon the snow-white beach against a background of dark green so beautiful that the heart of Steve Reardon hurt him. 7 “ Did you think J wasn’t coming?” she asked in her ear-enchanting so- prano. ‘I was lazy this morning, but I forced myself to get up after awhile.” Steve was on his feet, of course, and in a bathing suit he looks sturdier than in ordinary clothes. “You know I didn’t really expect you any more,” he said. cae “Why? You kmow I love stealing down here like this.” “T had a visitor yesterday. Mr. Forbes called.” : “Yes?” she said, unconcerned. “To remind me that I was a me- nial,” he said bitterly. ‘‘ It seems he saw us yesterday morning.” “And what did you reply?” she asked gravely. “I told him to get out or I’d be com- pelled to put him out.” “Good!” she cried. his nerve with him.” “Did I hear my name?” came from behind them. They swung round. Franklin Forbes, arrayed in a life saver’s bathing suit, white shirt, black trunks, and red belt, had joined them. With a girl’s appreciation of a situa- tion, Mildred smiled maliciously. “Imagine you being up so early,” she said. “We are going in. Want to come?” ~“ Yes, indeed, but I have something for the wireless man to do. Please get the Nassau station immediately, and send to Thomas Lightman at the New Colonial-the words: ‘ Proposition De- clined.’ ”’ Steve bowed, but his eyes were fu- rious. “Just now Mr. Reardon is going bathing with us,’ Mildred said bland- ly. ‘Later he will send your mes- sage.” : Forbes signaled to her with his eyes. “It is urgent,” he said aloud. “Jam “Franklin had : set St se i ene Soe = eA RII, ee . = “, i ro = betes RR ert Kas a ee = aN = =~ = = aoe Ce in AS a ee eee AS PR BG a ON NE ON gE a Ln PR TT NR es Pgh a NE I DN ee = Pow oF the Se. oP ae ie ae, Cen iP Ee AE A Oe Res een AM ghee se he yee AGS ae rm magn ee eg er a ee eS noe sre ee