Argosy All-Story Weekly, August 9, 1924 — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

TOO CLOSE and walked to the window, where he stood staring unseeingly down at the crowded street below. The door opened, and a curly red head appeared furtively in the opening. “Have you the papers?” hissed the red head melodramatically. The boy wheeled about, his eyes blaz- ing. “I suppose you think this is funny?” He indicated the papers crumpled in his hand. Sheila’s laughter fled. ‘‘ Why, Taffy!” She said. ‘‘ Why Taffy-boy! I didn’t dream you’d take it that way!” She walked around the table, and put her hand on his arm. ‘“‘ Listen, dear.” Taffy threw off the little hand so violent- ly that the girl staggered backward. He faced her furiously—a red-faced, ugly Taffy that she did not know. “ Sheila,’ he said; “{’m through! I come to you, in all seri- ousness, for help in something that means my whole future and you turn it into cheap ridicule!” ‘Ts that so?” All Sheila’s Irish was up. She rushed at him like an infuriated little terrier, every red curl bobbing defiance. “Well, Taffy Thurston, I gave you credit for having a little sense! Evidently I honored you too much. I felt that ridicule was the only thing that would wake you up. I could see last night that you were so carried away by this fool scheme, that there was no use reasoning with you. I can’t argue, and I won’t plead; so I tried to kid you out of it!” ‘“‘ Well, you’ve kidded me a little bit too far, this time. I’m going to stick with Carey Stockton, and I’m going in for this thing, heart and soul. I’m going to stick, T tell you!” “Well, ‘stick then,’ ”’ flamed Sheila, “ till yowre known as the Glue Brothers, for all I care! But don’t ask me to come and see you in jail!” “You’re prejudiced against Stockton, and you can’t be fair,” said Taffy hotly; ‘but understand once and all, Sheila, that I won’t let any woman dictate to me, or run my business!” Sheila glared at him. He returned the glare. “Take this ring back then,” she said TO HOME. 281 tensely, drawing off the little diamond, and throwing it on the table, “I’m going to find myself a respectable b-b-bootlegger!” With that she threw herself into a chair, bowed her bright head on the table, and cried stormily for a few moments. Taffy stood watching her, his eyes hard. Sheila reached blindly for her handkerchief, and the ring fell on the rug, Taffy shrugged his shoulders, picked up the ring, put it in his pocket, and slammed the door. V. “I TELL you, my boy, we’ve got ’em comin’ and goin’, lyin’ down, rollin’ over, and eatin’ out of the hand.” Stockton hailed him jubilantly, looking up from his shabby little desk, piled high with mail. “Look at this telegram from the lad in Kansas City! Five new suckers bit yester- day, without the aid of a chloroform sponge. And the Favorite Film Company gave me a new sucker list as long as your arm. Looks like we could get temporary desk room in the Longacre Building. There’s a little lady rents an office there that kind of likes my style, and she’ll take us in for a sweet smile, and occasional theater tickets. I tell you, Taffy, ol’ top, we’re going to be sitting on the top of the world, a year from now.” Taffy tried to look him over dispassion- ately. What was that Sheila had said? “Too everything.” Well, perhaps Stock- ton was a little exuberant, but, hang it all, the fellow was a born salesman! You had to hand it to him. Two awful Sheilaless weeks dragged by. Taffy gave up his job, and spent his every waking hour with Stockton, dashing about interviewing printers, photographers, and hangers-on of picture concerns. But fill his days as he would, Sheila’s red head and saucy face gave him no rest. Seemed as if she might at least call a fellow up, he thought sulkily. He was very careful not to mention her to Gran. Gran must not ever be allowed to suspect anything. ‘You look so gloomy nowadays, Theo- dore. Anything wrong between you and Sheila?” she inquired one morning at the breakfast table. Taffy dropped the lid of the marmalade MICLOO @) CO SS GO) nn