The Argosy, Vol. 90 No. 1 — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

PETROLEUM PRINCE. He paused, then added, chuckling: ‘Of course, I may need a new batch of help, even to a rat-catcher,” and was grati- fied to get a sickly response to his radiant smile. But he covered up any embarrassment that might have been felt by asking them all if they would let him have the library to himself. “T want to talk with Miss Devon— alone,” he said; and the Harlingoods obligingly retired, followed by Miss Haynes. Of all those in the room, Una was doubt- less the one most anxious to leave, yet she was the only one he asked to stay. If he had anything more severe to say to her in private than he had said to them in public, she felt that she could not endure it; and yet she richly deserved anything that he should choose to mete out to her. Her chagrin in the barber-shop at discov- ering how petty were her suspicions of him was as nothing to the mortification she now endured for her grosser misjudgment. When he said that he would like to see her alone she sank back into the chair inert. Prince closed the door and came over to the table which, she gratefully realized, stood between them. She knew he was looking at her and waiting for her to re- spond, but she lacked the courage to meet his eyes. Had she not, as he had well said, “made a mess” of trying to help a crim- inal get away; and a double mess, for he was not a criminal, and he would not have deserved to get away if he had been one? The softness of his tone was a relief. She had expected it to be hard, but it was not. -““Miss Devon,” he said, after quite an interval, during which the silence became oppressive. She looked up and saw him in a melting mood, his luminous eyes soft, and this frightened her. This was the first man she had ever met who frightened her: there was something about him that carried her far beyond her- self, beyond her reason. She was panicky; she wanted to run, to get away, to be alone, to have time to recover in silence. Yet there she was pinned in that huge chair, and he looking over at her disarmingly in 145 a tender mood (she could more easily have endured roughness) and with the door closed. ‘Miss Devon,” he repeated slowly, “I want to ask you about that sympathy you spoke of. You know the very worst about me now. I’m not a criminal. I’m hardly worthy of your attention. I’m only a slob millionaire; Petroleum Prince from Okla- homa.”’ “Please,” she pleaded, “please don’t make any more fun of me!” “I’m very serious,” he added gravely. ‘1 want to knew; I must know from you if now, after you know the worst, you think you mrght get anything personal into that sympathy?” She struggled out of the chair. She must make a fight for it now. She came around the table and ignored the implication in his question and tried to be businesslike as she replied: ‘“T know you think I’m a little fool, and of course you never could have any confi- dence in my being a good enough. judge of human nature to manage a hotel; but I do want to go on with the St. Opposite, if you don’t change your mind,” she added, her lip trembling. ‘I could hardly blame you . if you did.” ‘‘ Manager of the St. Opposite!” he ex- claimed. ‘‘ Did you think I’d let you do that? Never! I’ve something else in mind for you, only—” It was his turn to be abashed and awk- ward like a schoolboy. It was in this mood that she afterward said she “ adored ” him. She was excited and hardly knew what she said as she interposéd: “I do hope you can forgive me for all the mistaken ideas I have had about you.” “Forgive you?” he cried, seizing her hands and laughing delightedly as he felt that she did not resist him. “ Why, I’ve been looking for you for eleven years—yes, all my life!” She held off, abashed, and murmured something, she never could remember just what. He evidently did not hear it, for the next instant he blurted out: ‘“ Don’t you know you're the spitten image of the picture on that soap-box? Youw’re my Aurory!” comicbooks CO