Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 172: what you’re looking at

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

678 said “ You “You impudent young rascal,” Uncle Gregory, his eyes twinkling. aren’t even annoyed?” “ Best thing you ever did,” I cried. “* Now I can go with a clear conscience and tell Shirley I love her.” “Hold on,” said Uncle Gregory as I started toward the door. ‘ You can tell ‘ her another thing: that I have decided to make you both equal heirs and advance a suitable amount for your needs until my -demise, which I warn you will be long. I’m hard*to kill, as you have just seen proved. No, don’t stop to thank me; I’ve been sufficiently upset for one day. You'd better go and tell her at once.” And I went, leaving Uncle Gregory to lie back in his bed and chuckle to himself over his own little surprise. CHAPTER XXIX. AND THEN— UT it was not so easy as I thought to find Shirley; she was not in her room or in the little garden, and, although I searched every place I could think of, she was nowhere to be seen. I remembered the spot on the cliff where I had found her be- fore, and where we had had our first quar- . rel, but this time there was no slim little figure in blue tam and yellow sweater. At a loss what to do, I sat down on a rock and pulled out my pipe to smoke and think it over. Perhaps, after all, she wanted to be alone, and would be angry if I hunted her out. I longed desperately to take her in my arms and tell her what I felt, pnt was she ready to be taken? I was painfully conscious that I hadn't acted in the least like a traditional hero; in. fact, we had squabbled continually more like two children than lovers, and the mem- ory of my boast on this very rock made me redden uncomfortably. Hang it all, what had possessed me to make such a caddish remark, which ‘seemed now more in keeping with the villain of a cheap movie than a man who really respected and loved a girl as I did Shirley? And only now did I realize just how Digitiz ry Go ogle ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. much I cared for my second cousin. What . a plucky little soul she was, and what a good sport and companion! With her to work and live for, I should be a very dif- ferent man; without her—well, I dared not think of that. | These last five days had taught me many things and tempered much of my easy cock- sureness. This was a situation in which I had no experience to guide me, and which I felt small confidence in handling. I had not really believed that Shirley was her father’s accomplice, but I had shown that I thought she knew of his presence there. That of itself would prejudice her against me, and even my offer to retire from the inheritance i in her favor she would probably construe as a cheap attempt at magna- nimity. Draping myself in the sackcloth of these bitter reflections, I sat huddled up on the rock; my pipe for once tasted rank, and even the view spread before me failed to hold my gaze. . The air was cool and winy sweet with the mingling of pine and salt; the dark, steel-blue water stretched away to a sharply cut sky-line, against which a - sailing vessel drifted like a cloud. Around me, and as far on the island as I could see, the many colors of scrub oak and gorse wove themselves into a bright fabric that clothed the moor with flaming beauty. But my eyes were blind to it; I wanted to see just one little head of red gold that held all my sunshine at that par- ticular moment. ~ _ I don’t know how long I sat, but’ I was roused from my dreary musings by a sound like a stifled sob. It seemed to come from just beneath me, and for a moment I thought I had imagined it; then I heard it again, unmistakably at my feet. as the bluff slid away sharply at cat high point. I crept to the edge, looked over, and saw sticking out from beneath the tip of one small foot which I recognized at once for Shirley’s. My heart jumped and then stood still. What if she had fallen down and was lying there hurt or in a dangerous position? I must get to her at once. I did not call, for fear of startling her, There @ seemed to be nothing below but sheer rock,,