Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

‘ JUNGLE LOVE. outer borders of Brooklyn, presided over by domestic felicity, had gone aglimmering. Before he went to bed, Ernest made a gen- eral and final clean-up. This complete de- struction and uprooting pf all things and thoughts connected with the faithless Julie was unpleasant even to a lukewarm lover, but common sense prevailed over senti- ment, and in the morning, after he had gone to his office, the young man’s landlady found ‘her share in Ernest’s minor tragedy awaiting her under the washstand. Other girls had preceded Julie in Earnest’s experi- mental, but carefully and tentatively con- ducted courtships, and he made a good job in eliminating all souvenirs of his modest and unlurid past. One clean-up often ne- cessitates another. Tied with odd lengths of string were three bulging newspapers. The first con- tained a scrumple of ripped catalogs rela- tive-to apartment furnishings at nothing down, and a dollar a week, for years and years and—years. The second parcel was of a mixed character, and one peep through the torn corner was sufficient to satisfy the old lady that there was nothing there worth saving. Landladies have no mania for col- lecting the halves of show-tickets, withered flowers, and bits of this and that symbolic of their roomers vanished and past episodes. As for the third packet, the string slipped, -a puff of wind came through the open win- dow, and a swirl of charred paper flew an- Hoyingly over the carpet, up in the air and under the furniture. One clean-up often— Sneezing, grumbling and grunting to her- self, the landlady went down on her knees; made busy with broom and dust-pan, and the ashes of Ernest’s love-letters mingled with the flying dust. That, so far as Julie is concerned, ends the passing influence upon her career ex- ercised by Ernest Kennedy. His meeting with Leila was the one event in his life that winged his feet of clay, and we drop him where he stands; slow, staring and nie- ticulously counting the cost before he again ventures to “ walking out.” As for Julie’s bemusement of thought, there was cause enough. When, scream- ing with abandon to terror, she had turned 623 from the sign-enclosed window, Artie had come to her, not as a persecutor, but open- armed, voluble in contrite, and apologetic expressions. To Julie in the revulsion of feeling consequent upon her sudden release from the bonds of fear, Artie appeared as a prince of deliverance. His aureole of great- ness lost nothing in her estimation when he vowed he was crazy about her and noth- ing could make him happier than they should be married right away. The motive that had actuated Artie was fear for his own skin, but this Julie did not yet know. She now suspected much, but the truth was not plain to her. Artie, as can well be imagined, had a past that dangled with hooks and loose threads of old rascalities. Sooner or later forgotten misdeeds have a way of joining up, and with the partnership of Leila and Ernest plus the “ good woman,” Artie faced a chance of short shrift and a long term of imprisonment. Also there was Sid. And also—there was the Mog management. A precious coterie. The only safe way out for that Augean tribe was for Artie to marry the girl and decamp. Many minds, low and crapulent united in the conspiracy for his disappearance. CHAPTER XIV. THROUGH THE PORTHOLES. “Ww ET’S elope,” had cried Artie with slick dissimulation of his unrestful, un- * loverlike condition of mind, and - Julie, not knowing what had been going on while she had been locked in that disused gambling-chamber, had gulped down her sobs and endowed Artie with a flavor of pinchbeck romance. All in the same breath, Artie made much of his opportunity. He painted their future with dashing, colorful boldness. “Money to burn!” he stated, and, not unnaturally, Julie had opened a prospect : that so well suited her undiscerning state ef mind. It required precious little persua- sive ability to lead her to create a picture of elegant ease and foresee a honeymoon of triple distilled sweetness and elegance aboard a palatial liner. Connicloool. CO