The Argosy for May — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

268 I continued on my way, with Bemis, back toward our hotel. I wanted to make one more appeal to De Périer to take his daughter out from this accursed city, ere he and she should become hope- lessly enmeshed in the ever-spreading terror-web. Also, I was human enough to long for an interview with Elise, in the hight of the previous evening’s happenings. I knew she had noted to the full my quixotic service to her betrothed, and that such service must go far toward wiping from her thought the former ill opinion of me that had been forced upon them. My act had not been that of a spy or a kidnaper. Even prejudiced old -De Périer must recognize that. Though she was lost to me, and about to wed another man, it none the less gave me a little, miserable thrill of joy to feel I had softened her contempt of me. All I now asked was to guard and serve her. _ If she was to be the wife of another, and if my own future life was to be but a grave of love’s memories, I was none the less minded to help her to what happiness and refugee existence could offer, If my unselfishness could not force me to include De Grieux in my kinder feelings, who could blame me? I had acquired a very lively and natural dis- like for the graceful, brave young noble. What unsuccessful lover would not? Shadrach Bemis, as we walked along, broke in on my reverie, bringing me vio- lently back to the present. “Son,” he observed, ‘from that mooney look of your’n, I take it you're thinkin’ of Miss Elise. An’ nice and nat’ral it is for you, too. Only this ain’t the time for sech sugary dreams. You got suthin’ livelier to rastle with jest now.” : “What, for humoring him. instance?” I asked, “Oh, but it must be grand to be a. youngster!” he retorted. ‘To be ram- blin’ along on the edge of a canon, half an inch from the prec’pice, an’ yet be able to think of nothin’ but a pretty gall “You think I’m in danger?” *T don’t think nothin’ about it,” he said grimly, ‘I know it. ‘ture. THE ARGOSY. While you’ve been mixin’ up in love business, /’ve been doin’ some figurin’ in my mind. An’ I’ve come to two or three kinds 0’ queer conclusions. Don’t trouble to, unless—” “Go ahead!” I replied. ‘‘ What are they?” ‘Fust of all,” he began slowly, ‘“there’s some one in Paris who ain’t a double of yours, nor a twin brother, nor any of them story-book things, but who looks enough like you to cause a whole lot of—” ‘“T’ve gathered that much already,” I interposed, ‘‘ and—”’ ‘An’ have you figgered it out any further? ” > : ‘No,’ I admitted, “I have not. Have—” “Wa’al, 7 have. You don’t know anything about him, more’n that he’s most likely one of the he-coons of this rev lootion outfit, an’ that some folks— Robbyspeer an’ his gang—thinks pretty high of him; an’, thanks to that, he stands solid while the Robbyspeer bunch is on top. Likewise, that there’s a whole passel of other folks as’d look on it as a reel Sunday-school treat to be able to snuff him out. ‘That’s all you know about this ’ere feller who’s been gitten you in such a mess of scrapes lately. Now—” “Yes,” I agreed, “that’s all I know of him. And most of that is ‘conjec- But—” | “But fe knows a whole lot more about you, son.” “About me? Absurd! Why he probably doesn’t even know I exist. He—”’ “Don’t know you exist, eh? that accounts fer his usin’ so free an’ promiskus? ”’ ‘Good Lord, man! I nected—” : “Of course you didn’t. You was spendin’ your val’ble time sighin’ about a girl, an’ trying to rime ‘love’ with ‘dove.’ An’ yet, when you’re sane, you're a real clever chap. Honest, I wonder at your thickness these days. Wake up, “man, if you don’t want ol’ Missus Guill’tine to put you to sleep for good. Want to hear more of my idees?”’ I s’pose your name never con- NOOK Want to hear ’em? | (C@