Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 18, 1925 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

186 the elder lady chuckled, and surveyed Cynthia again and then turned back to her daughter. ‘ Well, you thought she was the biggest disaster that ever walked on two legs, didn’t you, Corney? I call her a stroke of luck! Why, I had no idea there was a girl like you left on earth, child! You’ve got your hair—you’re not smeared with paint—you wear clothes that look as if they belonged to a self-respecting Chris- tian! It—it’s a downright shock!” Mrs. Stone said, with another and quite terrific chuckle. shock!” ‘Well, thank you, of course, but—”’ “And to think that boy’s got sense enough to marry a girl like you? I don’t understand it; it doesn’t seem natural!” Mrs. Ronalds’s mother muttered further, and fairly bathed Miss Blair in her power- ful approval. “Well, natural or not, it isn’t so!” Cyn- thia said desperately. ‘“ That’s what I’m trying to explain to you, too. I have no in- tention of marrying him!” “Huh? Why not?” ‘“‘ Because—because—well, I suppose the most convincing thing is to say that he never asked me to!” ‘Why say that, when it’s a lie?” “When it’s what?” gasped Cynthia amazedly. Mrs. Stone shook one big forefinger at her playfully. “ Tut, tut, tut!” said she. “ JZ know peo- ple, my child; I.know ’em like a book; and I always know when they’re lying—particu- larly when they’re such clumsy little liars as you.” * But I assure you—”’ “Oh, come, come!” Mrs. Stone pursued comfortably. ‘ Ingrowing form of maiden modesty, maybe, but what’s the sense of it around here? The boy gave his mother to understand, in some roundabout way of his own, that he was going to marry you; since he isn’t an idiot, that implies, I should say, that he had asked you and you had given the necessary consent. So, whatever your silly reasons for all this shy fiddle-de-dee, let’s forget about ’em here in the bosom of the family!” ce But—”’ ‘““That’s what it is—a delightful- ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ‘“Confound your buts!” the personality cried, quite energetically. “I think you’re lovely—exquisite! I think you're ten thousand times more than we hoped for. So does Neville’s mother—don’t you?” “ Of—of course!” “Then that’s enough, isn’t it? There’s no one else to be consulted.” She laid a heavy and caressing hand on Cynthia’s round arm; not without effort, the owner of the arm steadied herself and smiled wanly. “Well, that’s very nice of you,” she con- trived. “ But I think we—we’re all a little bit confused this evening and—why, some other time, we’ll talk it over and get it all straightened out and laugh over it, I mean —some other time. Just now I must go.” ‘““Go where?” Mrs. Stone asked, in dis- pleased astonishment. ; “ Home!” c Why?” “ Well—er—I have an engagement.” “ But not for another two or three hours, you said,” Mrs. Ronalds suggested. ‘““ Why—no, not for another two or three hours, of course.” “Well, you’re not going to run away un- til you and I are better acquainted, my dear,” Mrs. Stone announced decidedly and frowned from her daughter to Cynthia and back to her daughter. ‘“ What’s the matter with her? How in the world did you ever get things muddled up like this?” she rasped impatiently. “Girl seems to have reached a state where she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Neither do you.” “Why, mother—really! I—” “Oh, you come along with me to my quarters, honey,” said Neville’s grand- mother, and tightened the grip on Cynthia’s arm. “You and I'll talk this over.” “ But—but I think I’d better go!” Cyn- thia said quite wildly. “And I think you’d better stay for a while,” the other insisted, and there was a whimsical and slightly sad quality in her smile which struck curiously into the caller. “T’m a lonely old woman and I don’t see many congenial people. I’d appreciate a little visit?” The pretty Miss Blair looked about her for inspiration. There was none. She (E) Gomichbooks