Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 7, 1922 — page 90: what you’re looking at

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

236 ‘They mature early nowadays,” said Sutliffe. Guyon’s curiously inscrutable face sud‘ denly began to work painfully. He said unsteadily: “ You think you can say what you like to me because F hate a row. But F warn you—don’t push me too far! There’s something desperate in me—” Sutliffe laughed with intolerable slow in- solence. Something snapped inside Guyon. A film of red sprang between his eyes and the vivid scene. Sutliffe received the surprise of his life. At the sharp crack of fist on flesh, play at all the tables ceased’ as by magic, and a hundred startled faces turned’ in the direction of the sound. Those of the attendants whose business it was to keep watch over the room at large started to-. ward the young men, but not too swiftly. So swift was the blow that it is doubtful if anybody actually saw it passed. With the turning of all those curious faces both young men, with the prime instinct of their kind, put on their masks. Guyon, sobered by the thought of a scandal affect- ing ker, pulled out his cigarette case with quick self-possession, and offered’ the con- tents to Sutliffe. Sutliffe dropped the ciga- rette he still held and took one of Guyon’s. The attendants seeing that the young men were not going to forget decorum, melted into the background again. The players, after a brief stare, made up their minds they could not have heard aright, and returned to their play. When the two felt themselves unobserved their hard eyes met again. Sutliffe vicious- ly threw down the cigarette. “You know I can’t lick you here, you pup!” he muttered. “ But you needn't think you’re going to escape me!” “ Anywhere you say,” said Guyon coolly. “ We don’t want any publicity.” ‘My idea, too.” “In the park somewhere, soon as it gets light.” “ All right.” “Cross the bridge over the swan lake and follow the path behind the little rocky hill. On the right-hand side there’s a slope of grass down to the lake. At the bottom of that.” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “Tl be there.” ‘Tf youre not I'll get you wherever you are.” “You needn’t worry.” Sutliffe returned to: Diantha. Guyon went to one of the plush-covered: settees a little way off and‘ sat down to watch. However Diantha had scorned’ him, his appeal to her proved to be net without its effect. Perhaps she suspected: that more had taken place between the two young men than the room was aware of. At any rate, Sutliffe had no soener come back to ler than she turned from the table with a: jaded air and asked him to take her home. Her expression had changed. There was realiza- tion in her eyes. She made her way quickly out of the room. Guyon advanced to: the table and: bet recklessly. On the way home in the taxicab Diantha’s eyes were haunted. But as long as Sutliffe was at her side she would not, she could not, admit things to herself. In order to keep the ugly thoughts at bay she talked incessantly of other things. “ How silly that play was to-night! De the people who write plays really expect us to believe that sort of thing?” “Well, they’ve got to write something,” said Sutliffe. ‘“* But to choke her because he found out she wasn’t as good as he thought! She wasn’t his wife. It was none of his busi- ness. Men don’t act that way!” “How do you know?” “Oh, one knows—by instinct! We're all human together, aren’t we? When some one you care for turns out to be no goed it’s crushing! You don’t fly into a rage. And she, to take it so meekly! If she had really been square she’d have fought! Makes me mad the way good women. are always supposed to be meek. If I loved.a man I’d have to fight him—somehow. I expect lovers have frightful quarrels, they are able to hurt each other so. And, of course, if you know you can. hurt, nobody is angel enough to keep from. doing it some- times. But how terrible to find out that somebody yeu: care for is no. good—” This was slightly over Sutliffe’s head, hence it bored him. comiclbooolx C©