Argosy, Vol. 120, No. 1 — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

44 ~ “ut. Why worry about ‘ somebody ’? Let him worry. We'll get along. And now, Marta, excuse me a minute. Whatever’s _ happened to that old scoundrel Blye cer- tainly excited him. I'll find out—and come back to you.. Got a million things to say, dear—a million questions to ask.” “Tl be waiting to answer them,” Marta promised. It was several hours later when Marta opened her stateroom door to Burchard’s knocking. She had been unpacking, im- proving her toilet, doing the hundred and _ One things to a wardrobe that women find to do. , “Why, we're still at anchor,” dhe ex- claimed, recalled from day dreaming by his presence. “Unhappily, we are. May be for some - little time. That confounded engine—”’ ‘« Serious, George?”’ , “It can be fixed. Matter of a few hours.” Burchard looked to her unusually animated. His color was higher and his eyes sparkled. . She wondered if he had been drinking, de- - cided he had not, and wondered some more. “What d’you say we go ashore and ex- - plore a bit?” he proposed. . “‘ There’s such a lot to talk about. And we won’t have another chance to stretch our legs on land for a long time.” Dean had stayed indoors. After laying . aside his pipe as related he sank into an- easy chair and remained there for long hours, Fang sleeping curled up at his feet. Dean dften sat that way, especially when he had a problem to think out. ' He was vaguely aware that the yacht had _ not yet left, but so far as he was concerned it had sailed when Marta Kree passed the door sill, looking back at him with a wave of the hand. The new pictures in his men- tal portrait gallery were varied and su- premely interesting, The revelations he had been surprised into called up many old pictures, almost forgotten. He found life a highly interesting pattern, like a picture puzzle that was never solved. He imagined he had put the thing together finally, only to discover, so unexpectedly, all these new _ Parts demanding their place in the scheme. THE ARGOSY. Fang’s uneasy rousing warned him of visitors before he heard their steps and their knock at his door. He opened to Marta Kree and Burchard. There was a disappointing sense of anti- climax in their reappearance. It is dis- concerting to say a last good-by and meet the missing one unexpectedly an hout later. That sort of experience spoils the gilt of ro- mance. Marta had a fine color in her brown cheeks. She was wearing a smart, blue, tailored suit, with short skirt and high walk- ing boots. He forgot his selfish disappoint- ment in frank admiration of her beauty. “Back again,” she smiled. “The yacht’s delayed by engine trouble. We'll be here a few hours more, and I—Mr. Bur- chard and I thought of a bully idea. Won’t you come aboard and take dinner with us? It would be good fun!” ‘““Come along, Dean, like a good chap,” Burchard urged, with rare cordiality. ‘“‘ You know we shan’t have company again for a good many weeks. Eh?” Dean’s inclination to refuse, born of cau- tion and long habit, broke under the warmth of Marta’s smile. For Burchard he would have enjoyed refusing to cross even the room. But Marta was irresistible. ‘“ Give me a quarter of an hour to freshen up, will you? Ill be delighted.” CHAPTER VII. — FANG. MARTA slipped her hand under Dean’s arm as they left the cabin and Bur- chard went on ahead. Dean startled at her touch. | ~ “Ym glad I saw you again,” she con- fessed. “I didn’t feel as if I had half said good-by to you this noon. Good-byes are hard things to say, aren’t they? I’ve been wishing all afternoon I could have another chance.” Dean was made ashamed of his reluc- tance in coming with therh. He blushed for his dislike of Burchard; for his vague sus- Picions of Marta. ship so frankly. “ Good-byes are difficult,” he agreed CO LOOOLK She offered her friend-. aC)