Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 18, 1925 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

DINNER FOR phone her Billy at the Morton home—he’d be glad enough to leave his conference for that—and tell him to be sure and be on hand by ten, and that her mysterious er- rand next door to Morton’s was completed and that she was home. Somehow she rather dreaded facing Billy without some such preliminary message to take off the edge. So that, whatever pleasure she might be giving the massive lady in the big chair, she was now about to exercise that free- dom of action allegedly bestowed upon all citizens of our great republic—and simply leave. She arose. ‘“ Now I must be going!” she smiled. ‘““ Must—hey?” Mrs. Stone cried, and awoke with a considerable jar from her pleasant reverie. “Yes, really.” “ But I can’t let you do that!” “ But you must let me!” Cynthia smiled, sweetly but firmly. ‘ I’ve enjoyed—ah— this little visit so much.” “Yes, but—hold on!” cried the other, in some agitation. “ This engagement of yours—can’t that be cancelled?” “Tt cannot.” “Tt ‘ll have to be!” replied Mrs. Stcne remarkably. ‘I must say that I want you here!” “ Well, I’m sorry, of course,” said Cyn- thia, and some of her patience was depart- ing, “ but truly, [ll have to—”’ ‘“ My dear!” “Well?” “Why not do a kindly act? Why not stay here with a lonely old woman until the boy returns?” “ To-night?”’ ‘‘ No, to-morrow or next day,”’ Mrs. Stone smiled seductively. ‘‘ You don’t know what you mean to me, my child! You mean peace in the household—and sometimes I think I’d go to war with the whole world just to get permanent peace in this blamed house- hold. The minute that I see you two fall into each other’s arms, the minute I know it’s actual fact that you’re both as much in love as you seem to be—well, it’s going to be the happiest minute of my life, and I don’t want to lose sight of you till it gets CYNTHIA. 189 here. You’ve been too long appearing. So now that you’re here, stay!”’ ‘““ But that’s impossible!” Cynthia cried, with a rather terrified smile. “Why is it? We've got fourteen bed- rooms in this house and only five of ’em being used!” “ T know—that part of it,” Cynthia stam- mered. ‘ But there’s my side of the case, too, you must remember. I’ve got so many other things to do—to-night and to-morrow and the day after and—and all the time.” ‘“* Business?” “Yes, indeed! Business! So—” “Well, you haven’t got any business that’ll net you more than the three mil- lions you'll get with Neville,” Mrs. Stone said dryly. Lips compressed, the visiting Miss Blair drew herself up with some anger. Actually, this absurd situation seemed to have nar- rowed down to a conflict of wills! The peculiar Mrs. Stone was staring almost hyp- notically at her now. Cynthia sensed sud- denly, mysteriously, the swift thought that was racing along behind that too charac- terful countenance. If she had a quick impulse to shriek in nameless terror and to turn and flee headlong, she mastered this impulse very nicely. When it came to wills, Cynthia had one of her own—and it was just as good a will as any old lady’s in the world! “ Possibly not, although I shouldn’t con- sider that sort of thing as business,” she smiled faintly. “I’m going now. Good night, Mrs. Stone.” “My dear, I wish you to stay.” “Well, I’ve tried to explain that that is impossible,” said Miss Blair in conclusion. “1m sorry I haven’t succeeded, but still— good night!” And she would have turned toward the door and walked out with quiet young dig- nity, but Mrs. Stone was rising suddenly, her eyes glinting cold fire, her chin hard as any rock! Obviously this lady had reached the decision at the end of her meditation.” ‘““One moment!” she rapped out. “I’ve asked you to stay. Now I say you shall stay! How about that?” TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK Gomichbooks (E(@)