Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 18, 1925 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

180 Another, his fiery gaze bridged the gap be- tween them and it seemed that William was about to leap through space and seize his Cynthia. Then, with a gulp which Cynthia caught quite clearly, William straightened up and faced the home which housed, presumably, his business future. And the door just beside- Cynthia was opening, too, and a kindly, rather stout butler was inclined inquiringly in her direc- tion—and Billy had vanished into the house next door! Cynthia entered. CHAPTER V. OLD-FASHIONED PEOPLE. T was very quiet and spacious in here, Cynthia sensed in the vaguest way. Her knees were shaking; Billy—her Billy! —had accused her of lying to him, of actu- ally coming here to call upon a youth for whom nobody seemed to have a good word! And he had been rough and furious; he had dared to be rough and furious, if one wished to put it that way, although Cynthia was not conscious of any desire to frame the thought in just that fashion. Of course, being human, they had had their overheated little passages before this evening—very brief ones always and very promptly buried in repentant kisses. All brimming with force, William possessed rather a hair-trigger . individuality, and Cynthia herself was far indeed from the purely oyster temperament. But never had he spoken to her in that tone or looked at her like that! Although one could not well blame Billy. Almost the last thing she had said to him, there in the flat, was that she’d be sitting home, all forlorn, and— “EKr—to see Mrs. Ronalds, miss, if you please?” Towner hazarded, ever so blandly and it was clear that, at very first sight, he approved of Cynthia. The caller started out of her dream. “ Why—why, yes!” she responded, gus- tily. ‘ Will you just say that Miss Blair has come?” ‘Miss Blair,” the butler murmured, and bowed her into the reception room and went his way. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ‘“ Phew!” breathed Miss Blair. Perfectly ridiculous, though, to get into such a state over such an episode, wasn’t it? Billy had been tremendously startled at the sight of her and, as the most natural consequence, unduly energetic. Even be- fore this, he would have calmed sufficiently to know that, however unusual matters might appear to him, they were quite all right so far as Cynthia was concerned, for the sole and excellent reason that Cynthia was Cynthia. When he appeared at ten, she’d have to explain. Yes, and she’d have -to tell the plain truth, too, and for that she was both glad and sorry. On the one hand, Cynthia detested the very idea of keeping even the tiniest detail of anything a secret from her Billy; on the other hand, reciting the facts meant admitting quite frankly that, up to date, both Nora and she were total failures. So there, apparently, was the penalty she would have to pay for her bizarre adven- ture; and so long as it had to be paid now anyway and was not a matter of life and death in any case, she might just as well dismiss it from her mind and enjoy to the full whatever lay ahead. Cynthia, then, smiled just a little wist- fully at the wall, somewhere beyond which was her Billy, and sniffed inquiringly. Curi- ous indeed—but the kitchen of this rather elaborate home must have the most perfect ventilation; there was not even a suggestion of dinner on the still air. this, they’d have electric blowers and all that sort of thing; yet if the cook down below had known just what manner of maiden was sitting up here, he or she must surely have turned off the power for a mo- ment and opened the door, just a crack! From some distant point in the house, chimes apprised Cynthia of the fact that quarter of seven had arrived. She sighed delightfully. And now, as to just what she meant to say to the probably disturbed lady who would soon appear? Oh, the good old sim- ple truth again, of course, except that she would be speaking as Nora; that part didn’t matter so very much, just so Mrs. Ronalds understood and the next quarter hour was safely bridged. There was no Gomichbooks In a house like. (E©)