Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

THE GREATEST GAMBLE. Half in sobs, Letty clung to him like a hysterical child, and he led her through a bypath to a summer-house where, in ‘the old days, as children, the Tavenors and their cheery young companions often had tea. It was an interesting place, that sum- mer-house; in a way it was a memorial. Letty had never discovered it by herself, and it was one of several things Julia had not shown her. " > In the midst of tears she found herself staring at one of the thick posts which framed the entrance. Her glance had flown ® it by some occult instinct, to the very spot where two sets of initials rudely carved, were enclosed in two fat hearts. Derrick and Julia, Gerald and Maud! Derrick had once thought enough of Julia to cut their initials together and frame them in a heart—such a fat heart, too. Buta cruel shudder passed over her as she thought ‘of the hand that had carved the other set. Because of that poor-boy and. his dreadful fate, she was afraid to meet her husband’s eyes. ‘““T don’t understand,” Derrick was say- ing patiently as he drew her to a seat and kissed her wet face. ‘‘ Why shouldn’t Mrs. Carlisle have business, with Uncle Bill?” “But I know she’s telling him—” Letty ‘checked herself convulsively. ‘‘ I mean she might be telling him things about father— things that would upset him or make him think there was something queer about me.” “ My darling—Uncle Bill knows all there is to know about you. You poor little thing! -Don’t you suppose I realized that your father was a bit of a—-well, I mean, not ‘Uncle Bill’s sort. And why on earth should Mrs. Carlisle want to make it un- - pleasant for you?” : Letty subsided weakly. "., What more could she say without giving herself away entirely? As it was, she ‘had svery nearly done so. The confession had all ‘but slipped from: her lips, and the horror of the narrow escape gave her a thrill as of one who has just grazed sudden death. :..““Oh, Derrick, love me—always!” ; It was her eternal.cry, and he could not derstand why, in uttering it, there was pch a desperate look in her eyes. The look 8A O21 had not been there during their sweet honey- moon week. ‘‘ Derrick, you swear, you promise, noth- ing will ever alter your love for me? Noth- ing!” ‘“ How could it?” He gathered her closely into his arms, pressing his lips to the halo of fair hair, his kind, honest features deeply troubled. He had something ‘to tell her, and it was disturbing news. He wished she was in a better frame of mind to hear it. “Letty,” he said gently, ‘ get this fool- ish notion about Mrs. Carlisle out of your head for the moment. It’s really too silly of you, darling. Listen to me. I’ve some- thing rather important ‘to say.”’ She lay quietly against him, although ap- prehension throbbed in every pulse. ~He knew about Gerald Stansbury, and was about to tell her that he knew. Roger had told him. Somebody had seen “ Lucy Maitland.” A dozen surmises chased ‘them- selves in as many seconds through her weary brain, but it happened that not one was correct. ‘You know I went to town to see about my discharge,” he continued. “ Well, Let- ty, I could apply for it, and very likely get it, but I don’t think I ought to. There’s some fresh trouble in ‘the East, and the old regiment may be ordered out in a fortnight or so. We—I—might have to go. Do you understand? It would be for six months at the very least—active service, of course -—and [ couldn’t take you. You see, it means a possible separation for us.’’ Just for one brief instant, Letty was con- scious of a vast sense of relief. She was so numbed by emotion that she could only take in one fact at a time. Again the re- spite—Derrick didn’t know that she was connected with the fate of his friend, Gerald Stansbury. She looked up at those heart-enclosed ini- ‘tials; shivered, and looked away again quickly. N ‘You'll be brave about it, won’t you, Letty? I came through the war without a scratch. It isn’t likely anything will hap- pen, really. We're only going out to show ‘em that old England is still on the job—” “Then you are going? It’s decided? I comicbooks CO