Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

412 tion of a second while he fumbled in his pocket for the right coin, Jimmy Stuart walked on listening to Vivian, who said: “T can’t gcold you for a good impulse, but, really, that woman has plenty of money—even a bank account. She’s a ARGOSY AND RAILROAD miser and she’s the janitor of the build-. ing where my office is. Recently she was charged with some petty thefts. She'll do anything underhanded to get money. Mar- shal Tredway got her with a suspended sentence.” Jimmy nodded. ‘ You never can tell,” he bromidically rejoined. : They walked on. Behind them the crone with the hand-organ kept turning the crank. When they- rounded the corner and were out of sight, she rose, picked up the organ, and stepped awkwardly but briskly between the theater and the building adjoining. Keeping on in an opposite direction to that which Jimmy had used in coming from the Mansion House, she paused, at last, at the old shed in which was the Bugbee phaeton. Walking in, she deposited the organ in what would have been the tonneau of the vehicle had it been an automobile. Two men loomed up near. They listened to what she said, rather eagerly. In the darkness one of them gave her a bill. The crone stole away into the night. CHAPTER XI. ‘“ TABLEAUX ” A LA ANGLEWORM! AT a street crossing where Coalport seemed to come to- an end, Jimmy Stuart and Vivian Baldwin turned down a little lane a few yards to a cottage in a group of pine-trees. There was a breeze now, and the air, while cooler, was not too cool. “This is my home at present,” said Vivian, “‘ and I am ever so much obliged to you for coming along.” Commonplace enough words. Yar the native dignity in her tone and thé’charm. \ of her voice made them glow like rare jewels. MAN’S MAGAZINE. “You are very welcome,” said he, turn- ing his face up to the stars to hide things he feared it might hint. He seemed com- posed enough. And he registered thanks that she didn’t gush over the stars and call them “ exquisite ” to a man who knew they were merely pitiless. Instead: “I see mother is still up. Would you care to meet her for a moment? She is rather lonely since Brother Norman went away. Oh, I forgot to tell you—the letter which came to-day while you were in my—”’ . In spite of all resolves, he was again Ulysses. This -voyage had hidden furies who lashed the mariner, cruelly. He inter- rupted her. “Isn’t it rather. late to disturb’ your mother?” he equivocated. “‘ Perhaps, some other time—”’ She smiled enigmatically. ‘‘ The present is the only time we ever know. It was now when we were on the trolley-car. It was now when you dictated—” “The defiance of an artificial angle- worm?” grinned Jimmy. ‘And it’s now, now.” _ As they stepped to the porch, a lady rose to meet Vivian. She had been sitting on a rocker. If his resolutions regarding a young scoundrel calling himself Norman Baidwin had been somewhat less indurated on seeing his sister, they fairly fluxed at sight of the gracious, delicate little lady who was his mother. dim light, that she was an invalid. Jimmy bowed low over her hand, ex- plaining that he had taken the liberty of not taking Miss Vivian’s frequent - refusals as final, but without saying why he had ig- nored the obvious proprieties. Mrs. Baldwin absolved him. “Vivian was telling me of you. I very much wisked, at dinner, that I might have the pleasure of seeing you before you. left Coalport. You remind me of my son, Norman. He is about- your height, I judge, although, per- haps, not. quite so heavily built.” S Jie. ‘appeared diffident, but struggled = knowledge of the ‘needed ameni- ~ ‘Only’ too well did he know her son Nor- mani - It was patent, even in the CELDOO© Co S Co mM