The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

98 They hurried back. Bennett had some misgivings as to whether his prolonged absence had been noticed. Edith was thinking of what her mother would say. One of the first persons they met was Osgood. ‘There had been some delay, and nothing had started yet. “Where have you been?” Osgood asked. “We went for a stroll,’ said Ben- nett. It was rather abrupt, but he did not feel like saying anything more. Os- good’s presence, for some reason he could not have explained even to him- self, jarred on him. But then, after the great moment, almost any one’s presence would have jarred on him, especially if that one had made com- monplace .remarks or asked obvious questions. The descent from Edith’s presence to the crowd was too sharp to pass unnoticed. Osgood’s particular presence, how- ever, had another significance. minded Bennett of something he had completely forgotten—the fortune- teller’s prediction. : During his engrossing conversation with Edith the thing had _ entirely slipped his mind. Now it came back to him, and with it the recollection that he had said nothing about it to her. Still, it was a trivial thing. No wonder he had forgotten it! But now it did not seem so trivial. It filled him with a vague foreboding. It stuck relentlessly in his mind. He could not get rid of it. Even as he was arranging Edith’s chair to secure a better view, he found himself thinking about that prediction, and unconsciously his manner became what it had been before. Not quite, perhaps, but almost. Now that he was back amid the conventions and formalities, his recently stirred emo- tions had to be subdued, much as one extinguishes a match by putting it into water. He seemed to be in an- other world, and he had to begin to fit into it. It re- THE ARGOSY. Through force of habit he did it quickly. The spell of the great mo- ment when Edith had whispered “I think so” began to wear off. Life be- caine hard and cold and matter of fact and practical again. Bennett, the lover of Edith, disap- peared; and Bennett, the National Guard officer, took his place. And with the change came the disturbing recollection of the fortune-teller’s pre- diction. Fortunately he was prevented for a while from dwelling on it by having to go to the review and take his part in the proceedings. Bennett’s was the type of mind that concentrates on the thing in hand. The doings of the next hour would require all his attention, and m a way he was glad of it. The two men excused themselves from the ladies and hurried away. Edith settled herself in her chair to point out items of interest to her mother, and to watch with admiration the stirring scene—and particularly a stirring figure in it. The function known as “ calling off in company streets” having taken place, the review began. Company after company passed the Governor, halting and saluting with accuracy and precision. G Company, led by Osgood, executed its part in style, and its commander noticed with satisfac- tion that the pretty girl in the white dress in the reviewing-stand had watched it closely. | Then came H Company, Bennett’s. The men moved along with impressive regularity, as their predecessors had done. It was a fine sight. Suddenly Bennett halted, and gave the signal to salute. A gasp of amaze- ment went over the parade - ground. What was the man thinking of? Peo- ple in the rear of the stand craned their necks to see what was the mat- ter. The colonel was visibly disturbed. Edith looked anxiously at the head of H Company. For, instead of being level with the Governor and facing him, Bennett was still twenty feet oO COMmMiclhoo S CO