Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 7, 1922 — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

204 | of Iris? If she favored the man’s advances, and her attitude showed that she did, there was nothing left for him save acquiescence. But Oily Duke! It. was inconceivable. His reason recoiled from the thought. He looked again. Iris seemed to be yielding, and Duke, after a satisfied shrug, was making off in the opposite direction, emphasizing the oom- pact, whatever it was, with an admonitory gesture. What did it mean? Knox told himself that it was all his foolish imagining—that the girl he lowed was too fine, too good, too clever for an alliance with the detested @ily Duke. Then, like a horrid dream, came the theught of her hesitancy at setting a date for their wedding. <A spasm of pain overspread his face. It was true! That which he had considered light teasing he now set down as fixed resolution. With a shudder he retraced his way to the horses. As in a maze he took the trailing bridles and ted the animals back in the same circuitous detour he had made in his search for them. He wanted time to think. In this way it was some time before he ap- '- peared at the top of the hill. He came slowly toward Iris across the field of blue- bonnets. When he neared her he searched her face in silence. There was nothing in it to betray the scene through which she had passed. She greeted him with a gay smile, which he had no way of knowing was forced, and tock the bridle from his hand. She patted Sweetheart’s soft muzzle, and, with Knox’s assistance, vaulted into the saddle. Obeying an impulse to feel the mare’s fleet gait, she called a challenge to a race, and was off like a flash. Knox’s horse bounded after. Neck and neck they reached the top of the hill and tore along the woodland road. Out again in the open, past the disputed oil wells guarded by State Rangers, up a slope until they came to Ninety-Four, where Knox had fallen, and here the girl drew rein. Knox should have known that his fears were groundless from the look of pain which overspread her face as her eyes measured the distance from the crow’s nest to the platform and she revisualized the accident ARGOSY-ALLSTORY * WEEKLY. that had befallen him. Had he been pos- sessed ef a woman’s intuition he weuld have known, too, that there was suffering be- hind the drawn lips and tense eyes of the girl; but he was a man, and his mental processes were néathematical. One idea possessed him and drove away all others—he had been thwarted again by Oily Duke. He was all but certain of it. Nevertheless, he could not refrain from making one last appeal to Iris. Though he was convinced of her perfidy, he would give her an appertunity to dispel his doubts. And, oh, how bis happiness hung upon her answer! “Tris,” be said, breaking the silence, ‘will you keep your premise?”’ The girl looked mp quickly. ‘ What promise?” she asked innocently. She had forgotten the teasing compact. “I breught the horses, you know,” re- minded the youth simply. “ Qh,” said she quickly, her mind flooded with recollection. “Will you set the day for our wedding, dear?” he went on with infinite tenderness. A stab of pain smote her to the heart, and her eyes were averted from his plead- ing face. She steeled herself to the neces- sary answer. After a long silence it came. “No,” she almost whispered. A bleak look came inte Knox’s eyes. The reply was scarcely a.surprise to him, but he forced himself to continue the conversa- tion to a proper conclusion. ‘““ Why?” he asked, though he was confi- dent he knew the answer. & a a ‘Why, Iris?” he insisted. The girl dropped her face to the shelter- ing curve of her arm. ‘“‘ Don’t—oh, don’t!” she sobbed. But Knox would have his answer. He steeled himself against her tears and again called her name, more sternly than she had ever heard him speak. “ Iris!” The brave girl dropped her hand from her face and leoked up. There was reso- lution to match his own in her countenance, albeit her eyes were lambent. “YT can’t—I can’t—oh, I can’t!” she declared, seeking courage in reiteration. comiclbooolx 1e@