Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 18, 1925 — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

204 fronts from an ordinary sort of young wom- an might have ruffled the young farmer, but not have sent him brooding in his cabin. Rod was personable enough if one knew him, he was a college man as.well as a farmer and he was wealthy enough to please even such parents as Gertrude ap- peared to own. Given a fair start he might put Howard out of the running. In fact all that was necessary to put Howard out of the running was to reveal that he was a paid secretary masquerading as the em- ployer. However, it had been Rod who proposed the existing arrangement, and there was no chance whatever that he would overturn it. And in view of the present attitude of Ger- trude and Rod, it should be an easy mat- ter to prevent their becoming acquainted. Evidently he had nothing to fear from Rod. And, having looked the young men on board over with great care, he saw few who were likely to interfere with what he decided would be a serious courtship of the Boston girl. It is a serious fact how few attractive young men travel on the Atlantic. There are girls galore, old men, middle aged men, a legion of old ladies, but few youths be- tween twenty and thirty. Young men of that age have not yet earned money enough to afford such luxuries or they are not en- trenched enough in their professions to spare the time. Howard was foolish to discount the at- traction that men of thirty-five and forty have for young women; being a boy him- self he considered such men as completely superannuated. He did not consider that he was disloyal to Rod in going after the only girl his em- ployer seemed to fancy; it was much more important to him to win a rich wife than it could be to a man with a million. Why, he had just arranged the escape of Rod from the clutches of a girl who was deter- mined to marry him and Rod had said he would not marry for years if he could avoid it. “‘ Every man for himself,” thought How- ard Campbell. ‘ And me for the heiress.” All these thoughts had been running through his head as he arose from his berth ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. next morning and went for his tub. He luxuriated in the warm salt water, stretching himself full length in the long, wide tub'and enjoying the sensation of-perfect health and complete self satisfaction. The lovely weather, the blue water that he saw through the porthole, the charm of the voyage; these things caused Rod to resume his good spirits in the morning. That disagreeable girl must not spoil the trip for him; surely the vessel was big enough so that he need not see her again, and he would take care to give her no further opportunity to assume that he was trying to make an impression upon her. He hummed a tune while he was taking his bath, a cold one, not the warm affair in which Howard was ruminating. He was healthy and strong and twenty-five and rich and on his way to see the world. What more could a man desire on this earth? In the best of spirits he went in to break- fast and he surprised Howard by making a few witticisms as they sat at table, mostly at the expense of curious looking passengers who were visible about the dining room. “What’s the program for to-day?” he demanded. ‘“ How do people amuse them- selves on board a ship?” ‘Oh, I suppose we lounge around. They have certain games, shuffle board, deck tennis, quoits and such things if you are energetic. And you can always promenade. I imagine we can play bridge or poker in the smokeroom.” “What are you going to do?” “Well, I told Mary I would try to fix things with the purser to get her and her friends taken through the ship, the engine room and everything.” . “That includes that black-haired little devil, doesn’t it.” “T think she will be along.” “Then count me out. I’m going to oc- cupy myself during the rest of this trip by keeping out of her way.” “Oh, come now, old man. I’m sure I can straighten out the trouble between you without difficulty.” “You mind your own business. I am not sending ambassadors to that girl to beg the privilege of her acquaintance, As far as I am concerned I don’t know she exists.” Eomicbooks (E@)