Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 223: what you’re looking at

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

ODD AND BEAUTIFUL. same,” said the close friend, veering to the doubtfuls. _ The colonel sat once more—although he’d discovered his chair not at all like the com- fortable one on his porch—sat reflecting that it was a queer universe indeed where a man was unable to prove his own sacrifice. He bent and kissed his daughter absently. Meanwhile old Homer Palley had been reconsicering, helped in it by a fitful recol- lection—and he now remarked, almost gen- erously: “ Seems like I did see in a book once, somethin’ ’bout Venus a throwin’ a shaduh when she was the biggest—’”’ “Pooh!” said the objector. ‘‘ They got books as says she’s ten thousand miles away, too!” “But that ain’t nothin’ to do with my money bein’ took!” finished Palley, sharply regretful of his momentary softness. Very true; in the furious astronomical discussion Venus had quite o’ershadowed the theft. So the constable rapped a senmblance of order into the people as the druggist-. magistrate rose—portentously, although he was no higher standing than when perched on his stool. “Col’nel Blalock, suh,” he said, “I reckon I got to ask yo’-all to face the cou’t.” But the old gentleman had forestalled the . command, being already on his feet again, and thinking disgustedly that this resembled his childhood spelling-class—up and down. “Col’nel Blalock, suh; it huhts me to recall yo’-all’s admission, suh, that yo’ went to the Palleys without invitation—and quietlike, too, and in the dark. Now, suh, the State of No’th Caroliny is waiting to heah what yo’-all may have to say about the missing money—or anything else yo all might ca’h to talk about.” The colonel sighed before ne spoke, slewly: ““If I couldn’t make yo’ folks believe - Tom heah, or me about the evening stah, _ reckon it ll be hahd to convince yo’. But I'll try to prove the money bettuh than I did the shadow ’—with a dry little smile— “though I’d hoped I wouldn’t have to be the one to tell yo’ this.” : He turned to address the other half of his feud, Money to anothuh So’thuhnuh, hated to have had Palley offuh a present of - 505 “ Palley, my consent to the young cou- ple’s marrying is now declah’d in cou’t; but I ventuah yo’-all still stick to yo’ old objections—”’ ‘“‘ How come yo’-all think I’d change my mind?” countered Palley. ‘‘ No marriage can go on with a fo’closyuh goin’ on.” “So I had suhmised,” said Blalock. He reached one hand sidewise toward the table, his eyes constantly on the enemy. “ Just hand me my gun, Tom, please. I see I have to convuhse plainuh with yo’ fathuh.” The son obeyed; but he took up and held the second gun himself—and Callabee held its breath. ‘Pass ovuh to me that red envelope yo’-all’s holding, Palley,” ordered the col- onel. “It seems to be the only item against me, ’cepting an unprovuhble shadow.” « T'll eat it fuhst!” ‘Don’t yo’!”, The revolver threatened. ‘“‘ Couldn’t miss yo’-all again this close, suh. Folks ’d talk. Look in the envelope, then.” ‘Nothin’ in there but the fo’closin’ no- tice, yo’ old—” “Then take it out.” Under the gun Homer Palley had to mind. So he grudgingly drew out—the actual mortgage, with “ Paid ” written diag- onally across its bottom and over a signa- ture, both in the colonel’s stiff handwriting. “And, yo’—yo’-all toted the intuhst money away, anyhow?” asked the bewil- | dered judge. “‘Suhtainly, suh,” said the prisoner. “No So’thuhnuh would think of giving suh—I’d money to me. But I could sell him the mo’hgage, whethuh he knew he was buying it or not. Besides, my left’ palm has nevuh been puhmitted to fool me, suh.” ‘“ Dad!” his daughter cried. “You tried to do something odd and beautiful yourself, didn’t you?” “It’s fine!” cried Tom. “It’s a peacemakuh,” said old Palley, meaning the document. | “It was really very’ odd, daddy dear,” said Nancy. ‘“ Very odd, and—” “‘ And pretty faih,” said Colonel Trahern Blalock complacently. too wo’n out to invent one idea.” Original froma : =>) “ Reckon I’m not CO