Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

$22 mean—you’re breaking it to me gently, Der- rick?” “Well, as things are—” “The regiment’s actually been ordered abroad?” ‘“ Not the full strength. [ could get out of it, if it were urgently necessary, but- - well, I mean to say—-” ‘“ Yes, yes, dear, I understand. Of course you must go.” Letty’s voice broke, and she stroked his coat-sleeve tenderly. “ That’s my brave girl! Thank you, darling, for not making it too hard for me.” ‘“[’m dazed, I think. Perhaps I don’t quite realize yet that we’re to be separated SO soon.,”’ “T’ve got a full fortnight’s leave,” he said cheerfully. ‘‘ And you.can’t tell, Letty. The War Office as been known to change its mind. Things may lighten up. Oh, a great deal can happen in a fortnight.” ‘T know it can,”’ she murmured distress- fully. ‘‘ But if we do go,” he said, wishing her to know the very worst, “ it will be for the whole of the six months. They won’t shift us out by one boat and home by the next. Yt might even be for longer, Mee" “Oh, I can’t bear it!” . You can try, dear. We must both try our very ‘hardest.”’ ‘‘ Yes—Ill do my best.” she said with a quivering sigh. Such a short while ago she had been so happy, ready to snap her fingers at any fate, and now it was changed in every way but one. There still remained the fact that Derrick loved her; that she was pretty well the whole of his life as the was all of hers. Dreadful as it would be to face this threat- ened separation—this apparently inevitable separation—she felt that if possible she loved him more for his determination to stick by the regiment, and not use her or Tavenors as an excuse to remain at home. “T think we ought to go in,” he said. “ Tt’s growing cold. There’s quite a nip in the air, and you have no wrap.’ Scarcely had he spoken when the pierc- ing, clear voice of Julia smote the air: ‘Derrick, Derrick—-Letty—where are you? Derrick, please come!”’ ‘ Hello, that’s Julia calling.” ‘Charles got anxious. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ‘Derrick started forward, dragging his wife by the hand through the dimness of the wooded path. ‘“ Derrick!” Julia’s voice rose on a note of combined fear and command. Letty, panting and breathless, scarcely had time to frame a thought of hatred for her—yet why should Julia call like that? ‘““ Rickey, where are you?”’ “Here we are. For heaven’s sake, Julia, what’s the matter?” Julia was racing down the lawn like a Ignoring Letty, sMe- wind-blown specter. clung with both hands to Derrick, raising an ashen face convulsed with feeling. “Rickey, father’s had another stroke. Dr. Thomas said the next would be the last —do you remember? Nobody knows when it happened. He was alone in the office— for hours. He said he had something to do, and mustn't be disturbed, but finally Oh, Rickey, I know I ought to be prepared, but I’m not!” ‘Where is he?” Derrick asked as they moved forward together in the fading light, Letty stumbling behind, forgotten. “In the library. Dr. Thomas is here. They’ve telephoned for the specialist. Itt all happened so quickly that I scarcely know where I am.” ‘“Something must have brought it on,” Derrick muttered as much to himself as to Julia, but she replied: ‘Not necessarily. You remember, the doctor said it could so easily happen. As far as we know, the last person to see him in his ordinary health was Letty’s friend— Mrs. Carlisle.”’ CHAPTER XVII. EXILED, HE poorer quarter of Beltingham was down by the quays. Here even the stiff broom wielded by Sir William Tavenor had broken against the accumula- tion of moral and material rubbish. ‘‘ The Keys ’’—locally nicknamed—simply would not be cleaned. Many of Tavenors’s employees lived at the Keys, for rents were-cheep ond apmateas) nn