The Argosy for May — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

832 When we sat down I flashed it on her. “Oh, Bill!” she said. I took the bouquet and bowed for the applause. It was all very nice. Il couldn’t have expected anything better if I’d paid twice the price for the en- gagement-ring. “ But, Bill,” she broke out suddenly, slipping the ring over her thumb, “it doesn’t fit!” ‘“Confound that jeweler, anyway I exclaimed, grabbing the ring away from her. sulting my bride-to-be by making the thing so large? Still, he probably made the ring after the regular pattern, and didn’t figure on your fingers being so much smaller than the rest of them.” She fell for it—women always do and she handed me a sweet smile when I told her I'd have it fixed up for her right away. I slipped the ring on my little finger, and we both sat there admiring it, like two children looking at an all-day sucker. : Well, finally her happiness began run- ning away with her, and she suggested something about going out and getting a little lunch to celebrate the occasion. _I hung back for a minute; she gave me a queer look, and suggested that the ring must have busted me. “Not on your life,” I came back at her. ‘A little thing like that! Why, girl, I was thinking of buying you a pair of those stones, but I couldn’t find another as good as this one to match. Put on your duds and we'll go right out. “But I’m not eating much myself to- day,” I added, as I remembered the fact that three little bones was all that there was between me and being dead broke. I was just chuckling to myself about the whole thing, and dreaming over what I was going to do to the bookies next day after I hocked that sparkler, when she came back all dressed up, like she was going to the races. Well, I managed to side-step a few of the swellest joints on the Great White Way, and finally hauled up at a pretty good place where I figured she could fill her face for about two-fifty ; and I counted on myself for one little highball, just for company, although I |? ‘What right’s he got in-. THE ARGOSY. had breakfasted that morning on three cigarettes and the last drop in my flask. She didn’t order very strong, and I was feeling mighty happy. Joe de Free came in, and I called him over. He caught sight of the ring and tried hard not to notice it. I saw him turn green, however. He used to be in love with Mabel. Well, he didn’t say much; he never liked me, anyway. But he looked holes in that ring, and then smiled and took the table farthest away from us. I knew it made the right sort of a killing, be- cause Joe knew diamonds; and he stuck up his nose at this one, which clearly showed that it was a pretty good sparkler. I was tickled at the way he took my sudden rise in the world, and so was Mabel; she never liked him, anyway, after the first time she saw me. You see, she knew he’d be watching us, and she wanted to show him she had a man with a roll; so she changed her mind, called back the waiter, and lit into that menu as though she was com- ing down the home-stretch. The ‘pace was a little too fast for me. It went over my pile the third time she opened her mouth. But I figured I could call the head waiter aside and tell him to hold off the balance until I could send my check over. I’ve done that be- fore. Having the three in my pocket to show that I was right gave me confi- dence, and I knew I could get out of jt some way by paying that part in cash. It showed I had the right spirit, any- way. The only thing that worried me was that Joe would see me do it, and I couldn’t stand for that. But I figured I could excuse myself and see the head waiter before the bill came, and have it fixed without Joe de Free getting wise. Of course, 1 couldn’t say anything to the girl. I peeked around the edge of the table to see if she had her hand-bag with her; but, no, nothing doing—she was out to lunch on my invitation. Well, I sat there and quailed in spirit while she ate it on toast. I didn’t get blue around the gills; in fact, I never have since I learned to bluff at poker. NOOK (CO)