Sloyd

“ To Gordon Sloan, she seemed an intangible vision, a spirit of the woods, and for several charming moments he stood entranced, gazing down with hungry eyes upon this bewitching feast of womanhood. Finally, as though conscious of his concentered gaze, Marcia Loring turned her head slowly toward him and gazed shyly up into his face. Gordon Sloan was a man with not quite thirty-five years of existence, though fully fifty of experience, to his credit. ”

“ There's one thing owin' a real smart gent like you, Mr. Slosson, sir, an' quite another owin' a crowd of crooks like Mallinsbee's. This town ain't likely to forget. There's things like testimonials around, sir," he added, winking significantly, "and when a city's making a big pile through a man, testimonials are like to take on a mighty handsome shape."
Slosson grinned.
"I shouldn't discourage 'em," he said pleasantly. "The folks 'll see where they are in a few days. Here." He pulled out his long cypher message from his pocket, and held it out towards Peter triumphantly. ”

“ Beyond them, and beyond the amber satin curtains at the long window, I saw the elm boughs arching against a pale gold sunset into which a single swallow was flying. And I remember that swallow as I remember the look, swift, expectant, as if it, also, were flying, that trembled, for an instant, on Sally's face.
"It is George," she said, turning to me with radiant eyes; "George has done this. These are the things he bought, and I wondered so what he would do with them." Then before something in my face, the radiance died out of her eyes. "Would you rather he didn't do it? ”

“ He forgot about Piney. She blocked his farther vision like a shaft of light. He could not see an inch beyond her. Madeira's voice rang down the garden walk. Steering did not hear it. [Pg 116] "Salome! Salome!" he murmured, "Is that it, Salome?"
"Yes, that's it, Salome. Isn't it foolish? The Di down there is the Diaphanous, too. Some pioneer poet named it for its shimmer, but what good did it do? Missouri promptly called it the 'Di.' No more good is it to name a child Salome in the backwoods of Missouri. She's bound to grow up Sally. I've always been Sally, except at school. ”

“ Sloan's mouth was close to the lawyer's ear. "There is another explanation. If the fellow is game, and anxious enough to reach the train to risk his neck for it, there's a path he could have taken which would get him there without his coming round this turn. I never thought it a possible thing till I saw his horse trotting on ahead of us without a rider." Then as Reuther came ambling up, "Young lady, don't let me scare you, but it looks now as if the young man had taken a short cut to the station, which, so far as I know, has never been taken but by one man before. ”

“ They've got a small house in Sloane Street, and live there all the winter."
Sally looked at him with troubled eyes—troubled in sympathy because, with the quick wit of a woman in love, she had felt here the need of it. His sister lived in Sloane Street—lived there for the most part of the winter, and he saw but little of her; yet he kept her miniature lovingly in his room. If there is but one woman pictured on his walls, you may be sure a man rates her high. Sally knew all this—knew there was more behind it, yet hesitated to intrude. ”

“ You go on and knock ’em.”
Salome’s dismal draperies swished through the narrow passage and the orchestra called, called, called, in the deep, troubled notes of the last movement of the Love Symphony.
The dresser, when she had laid everything in order, strayed out to chat a little with the stage carpenter, and told him the romantic news, and the name of the fortunate man who was to marry Miss Sylvia. There was—any way you look at it—no reason why she should not have done so. Sylvia had made no secret of it. The carpenter, for his part, saw no reason for secrecy. ”

“ I have sent Reginald for Mr. Stone—" Here she stopped, for Greenwood broke out into convulsive crying.
"The dear master is struck for death, and no mortal power can help him now!"
That evening about seven o'clock, Salome, sitting by her mother's side in the hushed and darkened room where the master of Maplestone lay breathing heavily, quite unconscious of any outward thing, heard the sound of horses' feet. She rose quickly and went to the hall door. [28]
"It is Raymond. I had better tell him," she said. ”

“ There's the clock striking five, and nobody to set the table. Sally, I say! Sally!"
"Why, Mis' Kittridge," said the Captain, "Sally's gone out more'n an hour ago, and I expect she's gone down to Pennel's to see Mara; 'cause, you know, she come home from Portland to-day."
"Well, if she's come home, I s'pose I may as well give up havin' any good of Sally, for that girl fairly bows down to Mara Lincoln and worships her."
"Well, good reason," said the Captain. "There ain't a puttier creature breathin'. I'm a'most a mind to worship her myself." ”

“ It was the first time that Tom Slade had grasped anyone’s hand in many a day.
“Tom—­Tom Slade,” he said, hitching up his suspender.
“So? Mine’s Ellsworth. Come up to the Library building and see us some Friday night—­the boys, I mean.”
“Oh, are you the boss o’ them regiment fellers?”
“Not exactly the boss; scouts we call ourselves.”
“What’s a scout? A soldier, like?”
“No, a scout’s a fellow that does stunts and things.” ”

“ Catching Sally’s eye, the Captain motioned her to join him at the bridge.
“It’s marvelous!” he told her. “That secret radio of yours has saved ships and lives. Eight subs all ready to pounce on us and now look—” He swung his arm in a broad circle taking in all the gliding ships.
This was high praise. Sally’s bosom swelled with pride. Then—
“Danny?” she said without thinking.
“What about Danny?” He laughed. “Hell be back with the rest. A fine boy. Danny. There are few better. We need a lot of Dannys in this war.” ”

“ What did Tom Slade do after the best night’s sleep he ever had? He went to Mrs. O’Connor’s, where he knew he was welcome, and washed his face and hands. More than that, he attended to his lessons in school that day, to the teacher’s astonishment. And why? Because he knew it was right? Not much! But because he was anxious not to be kept in that afternoon for he wanted to go down and peek through the fence of Temple’s lot, to see if there were any more wonders performed; to try to get a squint at Mr. Ellsworth and Westy.
In short, Tom Slade had the Scout bug; he could not escape it now. ”

“ For Sylvia was Sandra, who had been a brown witch-child, and was now a white witch-girl crowned with beauty as with a diadem—a girl with the eyes that you never forget.
The friend shrugged his shoulders and, following, caught up with him on the stairs.
“Who is she?” said Templar abruptly.
“That’s just it. Nobody knows. The charming Sylvia knows the value of a mystery. I say—come back and see the Salome. You’re not seedy, are you?”
“No,” said Templar, “I’ve just remembered an important letter. See it some other day.”
She doesn’t dance every day, you know,” said the friend. ”

“ Instinctively she avoided the house, lest Sally should see and fly out and seize her. She took a narrow path through the cedars down to the little boat cove where the old Captain worked so merrily ten years ago, in the beginning of our story, and where she found him now, with his coat off, busily planing a board.
"Wal', now,—if this 'ere don't beat all!" he said, looking up and seeing her; "why, you're looking after Sally, I s'pose? She's up to the house."
"No, Captain Kittridge, I'm come to see you."
"You be?" said the Captain, "I swow! if I ain't a lucky feller. But what's the matter?" ”

“ Look! Surely I see Miss Conway and Gerald talking to your father on the beach. When they pass here, I'll join them, and we can walk home together."
"How Master Gerald does grow!" Salome exclaimed. "And he has so improved too! That's come about since your illness last autumn, miss. He was in a terrible state of distress then."
"So mother has since told me," Margaret replied. "Yes, he has improved; he's much more obedient than he used to be; Miss Conway was saying, only this morning, how little trouble she has with him now." ”

“ Why, that was the fellow in the gray shirt and the book-strap belt, who was no scout at all—Tom Slade. Raymond knew what a scout was—he had seen pictures enough of them.
Probably, his diffident nature would have kept him from saying more now except for Roy’s laughing encouragement and the belief that Mr. Ellsworth stood with him. In any event, he launched forth in a way which astonished them all.
“That’s why you don’t wear the uniform—because you’re not a scout!” he shouted at Tom. “You’re too stingy, you are, and everybody knows it! You’ve no right to go with fellers that are scouts! ”

“ Sloane paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Mr. Slivowitz——” he began again.
“Of course,” continued his employer, “I could make it—well, a hundred fifteen, Mr. Sloane. But, believe me, not a cent more, posi-tive-ly.”
The secretary shook his head decidedly.
“What?” roared Slivowitz. “Y’ mean to tell me y’ ain’t goin’ to do it? All right; you’re fired anyhow, you understand me.” Then with an evil glitter in his eyes, “And if you don’t bring by me that formula, you get fired from the Domestic Dye Works; and you don’t get it no job nowheres else, too! Now, you take your choice.” ”

“ Then she turned to Slosson. "Sunset's a rocking-horse," she explained. "Now, there's a dandy three-year-old I've just finished breaking in the barn. He's a lifey boy. Wouldn't you rather have him?" she inquired wickedly.
Slosson's inclination was obvious. He would have preferred Sunset. But he couldn't take a bluff from a prairie girl, he told himself. Forthwith he promptly demanded the three-year-old, and his demand elicited the first genuine smile Gordon had been able to muster since he had become aware of Slosson's presence on the ranch. ”

“ Rollins never spoke of it; and we had been talking of her. I inferred from what he said that she was not there at all. And I saw her drive homeward with her mother right after parade: so it didn't occur to me that she could have come out again, all that distance, in time for the dance. Singular! Why shouldn't Rollins have told me?"
Sloat grinned: a dreary sort of smile it was, too. "You go into society so seldom you don't see these things. I've more than half suspected Rollins of being quite ready to admire Miss Beaubien himself; and since Jerrold dropped her he has had plenty of opportunity." ”

“ As I turned the corner, however, I saw, to my disappointment, that several riding horses were waiting under the young maples beside the pavement, and when I entered the house, I heard the merry flutelike tones of Bonny Page from the long drawing-room, where Sally was serving tea.
For a minute the unconquerable shyness I always felt in the presence of women held me, rooted in silence, on the threshold. Then, "Is that you, Ben?" floated to me in Sally's voice, and pushing the curtains aside, I entered the room and crossed to the little group gathered before the fire. ”

“ Sally's inborn, inherent love of teasing was up in a moment. Did she know anything of that Mr. Adams? Of course she did,—a young lawyer of one of the best Boston families,—a splendid fellow; she wished any such luck might happen to her! Was Mara engaged to him? What would he give to know? Why didn't he ask Mara? Did he expect her to reveal her friend's secrets? Well, she shouldn't,—report said Mr. Adams was well-to-do in the world, and had expectations from an uncle,—and didn't Moses think he was interesting in conversation? ”

“ Then asked he of the voice if it should be in the end of his lineage. 'Nay,' said the voice, 'but there shall come a man which shall be a [pure man] of your blood, and he shall be as good a knight as Duke Josua thy brother-in-law.
'Now have I certified thee of that thou stoodst in doubt.' Then was Solomon glad that there should come any such of his lineage, but ever he marvelled and studied who that should be, and what his name might be. ”

“ Then came the sudden, loud and insistent bark of a broadcast for all the world like the call of a wolf leader to his pack.
“A call to the kill,” Sally had thought to herself. She was thrilled to the very center of her being, but said never a word. She wanted Silent Storm to listen and form his own opinions.
Slowly, surely, quite like the wolves of the Great White North, the broadcasters drew closer and closer together. ”

“ When Sally, honest lady, entered with the papers, the soapy scalp still adhered to my caput. She first looked in my face, being a sort of quiz in her way, and then at it. "Dat is new fashion, Massa Benjamin. When gentlemen shave demself in England now-a-day, do dey wipe de razor on crone of dem head?"
"Assuredly they do," said I; "the universal custom, Sally, every man or woman, willy nilly, must wipe their razors, henceforth and for ever, on pieces of paper stuck on the crown of their heads. There is an act of Parliament for it." ”

“ Monday is our zero hour. We drop at dusk. And I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”
“I’ll say a prayer for you,” Danny grinned. “And now about this secret code of the gremlins, the enemy subs, or what have you.”
“Yes—yes!” Sally exclaimed eagerly. “What did you find out?”
“A whole lot and yet, not half enough. Come over just after chow, if you can. Bring the radios and I’ll tell you all.”
“Oh, no! Surely not that much!” Sally held up her hands in mock horror. “All the same, I’ll be there!”
“It’s like this,” Danny said, as they sat before the radio that night listening to the “put-put-put-a-put.” ”