Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 17, 1924 — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

262 and rejoicing, she was back again with her old playfellows, the wind, the sunshine, and the sea. MacKay was never too busy over the blue prints to notice his niece on the bright occasions when she flashed by in the har- bor below, expressing her very soul in the joyous abandon with which she sailed the Alcala. ‘“T wish I could get a captain and a clip- per as well mated as that yacht and that girl,” said Donald MacKay. “ They were made for each other.” One afternoon MacKay had reason to revise his judgment. The Alcala was slow in stays, there was an unresponsiveness in the way she ate to windward, her ghosting qualities were lost. Donald MacKay left his blue prints and came over to the win- dow with questioning gaze. “What in the world can have hap- pened?” he exclaimed. “I never saw such lubberly conduct before aboard the Alcala. It seems as if she’s being profaned. Surely Mary can’t be making such a mess of sail- ing.” The old man peered intently as the yacht passed athwart of his shipyards, then as her cockpit flashed into view, he burst out: “TJ thought so. I thought so. Nat Ger- tridge steering for a change. His spirit and that yacht are about as well mated as an ox and an eagle. ‘“ Beats all about the mystery of steer- ing; it seems to be blown into the very soul. There’s Mary, a mere girl, who can steer as if the winds were whispering to her. And there’s Nat, in the shipping busi- ness, and yet he never dreamed of sympa- thy between man and ship. Is it any won- der that I’ve had my days of trouble with such as that to contaminate my clippers?” A few minutes later, when the Alcala bore down the harbor, Donald MacKay laughed loudly. Mary was steering once more. They were thrashing to windward in a stiff, choppy breeze, and Nat Gert- ridge, in spite of himself, was being deluged. Donald MacKay laughed hugely. “Serves him right. A lubberly chap like that’s got no business in the same boat with a girl like Mary. Getting just what he deserves. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “That’s right, soak it to him, Mary.” MacKay clapped his thigh with satisfac- tion as the girl treated Nat to another drenching. 3 As the Alcala passed out of sight, Mac- Kay fell to thinking of his niece. “ Aye, she’s a strange lass, is Mary. Believed all the time in the Valkyrie, just like her Uncle Donald. A regular little brick. Bowled the tar out of the whole crowd up there at the church. Never dreamed it was in her. But I guess the old blood is there. Ever since the days of the old chief at County Ross, the MacKays have had a strain of the seer. But there’s lots of the livin’ devil in her, too. Up in the church the little proph- etess, down at the harbor the little vixen. She’ll lead some lad a dance all right!” At that very moment Mary Williston was indeed leading the pertinacious Nat a merry dance. The heir to the house of No Loss & Great Gain Gertridge had at length bestirred him- self to offer his heart. Nat had handed the tiller over, and sit- ting on the weather side of the cockpit, he struck a soulful attitude. “Do you know what I’m going to say to you this afternoon, Mary?” ‘Don’t ask me,” replied the unromantic Mary, tossing her head in the wind. “Well, I'm going to say something I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time.” “Oh, don’t. Please spare yourself the trouble.” “ But I must.” “Rubbish.” “But if you only knew what was in my heart, Mary.” “If I knew Id keep it there.”’ “ But I can’t, Mary. The time has come for me to tell you that I love you— Ugh! Ugh!” Nat’s wonderful speech was cut short. He was half drowned by a deluge of icy water that Mary shipped at that particular moment for his benefit. He paused, shook the water off, and con- tinued. “T love you, Mary. I have always loved you— Ugh! Ugh!” This time he had taken a seat on the rail to leeward. Mary bore hard down upon Go OOO) AMG S (C@