Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 18, 1925 — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

. 252 _ You're some girl. I tell you not many would have gone to all that trouble for an old hick they didn’t know.” “T felt so sorry for him.” “Cheer up. Forget him. Little Howard Campbell is around to play with you. I'll give you a good time on this ship.” “Tf you have time from your other friends.” ‘They are all scratched. From now on you are the only entry.” “Tf we could only meet Mr. McGarry, walking along the deck, sort of casually. Then I could talk with him and I’m sure everything would be all right.” “Not a chance. He won’t come out. Let’s you and I climb up on the sun deck and play shuffleboard. 1 bet you can beat me.” “ Presently. I really wish to talk to Mr. McGarry, and I want you to bring him over.” “Carry him over. He’s afraid of you, surest thing you know. But I'll tell him how everything happened.” “T told him all that in the letter he never answered.” Howard began to be bored with the sub- ject. Conversation about another man did not interest him much. “ Leave him to me. I'll have him eating out of your lily white har@ in no time at all.” “Why, there he is!” It was at that moment that Rod had ap- peared at the smokeroom exit and Gertrude had spotted him before Howard. She saw that he saw her and she saw him draw back. Her color rose and her heart sank. It was going to be terribly difficult. But she man- aged to laugh and said merrily: “ All right, let’s try that game of shuffle- board. I’ve never had a chance to play it. And I’ve got to make my peace with Mary Norman. No wonder she was in- dignant with me if she thought I went to the captain about poor Mr. McGarry. I’m so glad he has come out of his stateroom. At least he isn’t confined there any longer.” They found a deck steward who supplied them with the disks and shovel-shaped sticks necessary for the game and who rapidly drew with chalk upon the deck the 4 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. series of squares which are the source of the score. They played vigorously for about an hour, squabbled like children over pomts gained and lost, and appeared to be fast becoming friends. When Gertrude went down below she found her mother lying in her berth. She had a raging headache as a result of the bad news she had decided to keep from Gertrude, but she was able to talk with her about a subject close to her heart. “T saw you walking with Mr. Camp- bell,” she said. “Is he nice?” “He’s rather good fun. witty.” “1m told he is very rich, and comes from one of the best families in Kansas City.” “Ts he?. Does he?” queried Gertrude most indifferently. “Mind you don’t become too friendly on this voyage,” said her mother archly. “You needn’t worry. I was with him because I was anxious to find out about Mr. McGarry.” “That secretary person. Don’t be silly. And I have decided that we cannot go to the captain’s ridiculous party for him.” “We won’t. There isn’t going to be any party. Mr. McGarry doesn’t want to meet us.” “Why the very idea!” declared Mrs. Thomas sitting upright. “Of all the in- solence I ever met in my life.” “Mr. McGarry has as much right to de- cide who he will meet on board ship as we have,” retorted Gertrude quietly. “He probably thinks that women who created a rumpus about nothing, and got him locked in his cabin on a false charge, ate not worthy of his time and attention.” “Rubbish. Any man would be glad to know you.” “Except this one.” “Well, you may spend your time with Mr. Campbell. I’m sure he is much nicer.” “T wonder,” said Gertrude rather pen- sively. ‘ When Gertrude left Howard Campbell after their game of shuffleboard she had no idea that she had created a lover by her two hours of agreeable companionship. Howard was madly, furiously in love with her. He had fallen completely and abso- He is very \ (¢ ‘S ECoOmicboo CO