Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 13, 1923 — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

THE LEDBURY FIST.. her, since it proved that one may desire something very much and get it, yet at the same time be grieved. Mrs. Harland, in the throes of her painful complaint, was by no means a pleasant companion. As a matter of fact, she in- finitely preferred her own society—which nobody grudged her—and that morning, after a short session at the telephone, Eve~ lyn intruded upon her with a request. * Aunt Annie has just been on the tele- phone,” Evelyn said, putting it somewhat cryptically, “‘ and she particularly wants me to come up to town for a few days. Lois and Margery are going to that big Arts’ Ball. Uncle Stephen has got tickets and promised to take them, and Jimmy Creigh is going, too. Would you think it very selfish of me, mother, if I accepted her invi- tation?” “ Did you tell Aunt Annie about me?” “Yes, and she says if you wish her to she’ll come down and nurse you—”’ “Good heavens! What put such an idea into her head! You know perfectly well I can’t stand anybody around me but Tomp- kins when I’m like this.” “Yes, mother. I told Aunt Annie so, I told her you didn’t even want me—” “Well, go—go by all means, my darling. Have a good time, if you can. I wish you could persuade your father to go with you. All I want is to be let alone.” “Poor mother! Are you quite sure—?”’ “My darling child, by this time don’t you know that it’s the only thing I do want?” And Evelyn had got what she wanted— permission to leave this haunted country- side for London. She was not very truthful with herself, however. It was humiliating to confess, even to her inner consciousness, that she wanted to be in town because Dick Ardell was there. CHAPTER XVI. MIXING GAY WITH GRAVE, IMMY CREIGH was a frequent visitor J at the house of the Loveday family in Wilton Place. Mrs. Loveday was 2 cheerful person, quite unlike her sister, Mrs, —-§49 Harland, and Lois and Margery were Eve- lyn’s cousins, of course. The three girls were all about of an age and Evelyn always had a jolly time when she came up to visit the Stephen Lovedays. Lois and Margery were to have been two of her bridesmaids and this was the first time she had seen them since the engagement was broken. The Loveday girls were very ‘“ modern,” and some of the things they did rather shocked Evelyn, although she was often secretly thrilled by their daring. Among other characteristics they possessed an en- tire lack of reticence. That afternoon at tea, following upon Evelyn’s arrival, Jimmy Creigh looked in for a moment, as he said, and remained a couple of hours. Evelyn’s broken en- gagement was discussed freely before her by her cousins, much to Jimmy’s embarrass- ment, and he himself was asked all sorts of questions the answers to which might help Lois and Margery to understand why Evelyn and Dick Ardell were not going to be married. Evelyn herself had failed to give them any satisfaction. She sat a little apart, her eyes deeply serious, as Jimmy miserably dodged the queries hurled at him. “Why don’t you ask Evelyn?” he ex- claimed finally. ‘We have,” said Lois, the red-haired sis- ter who was thinking of going on the stage, “And all Evelyn says is that practically Dick jilted her.” : “Oh, that’s not true—by jove, it isn’t!” Jimmy retorted. “I was there when she fired back his ring at him.” “Then you do know what happened, Jimmy!” Lois and Margery chorused. “He doesn’t know what happened after- ward,” Evelyn put in. “Well, what happened then?” asked Margery, the sister who was going in for poetry. “J don’t feel privileged to tell you,” Jim- my replied. ‘‘ And neither of you can have very much feeling for Evelyn to discuss her like this,” “Oh, Eve doesn’t mind,” Lois said airily. ‘* She’s going to the ball with us to-morrow night. Her heart isn’t broken. I hope you haven’t forgotten that we’re going as a Eomichooks Cc