CHAPTER XIX.
PRETTY MARGERY'S TERRIBLE DISCOVERY.
Pretty Margery Conway had made her way eagerly enough to Mr. LesterArmstrong's private office, but her light tap on the door brought noresponse, and, as it was slightly ajar, she pushed it open and steppedacross the threshold.
To her great surprise she saw that her employer was deeply engrossed inthe pictures of a comic weekly, and the loud "Ha! ha! ha!" that fellfrom his lips struck upon the girl's sensitive nerves most unpleasantly.
She was wondering how she should make her presence known to him, whensuddenly he turned around, and then he saw her and a quick gleam ofintense admiration leaped into his bold, dark eyes at the vision of thelovely, blushing, dimpled face of the slender, graceful young girl.
"I am here in response to your summons, Mr. Armstrong," she said, withmuch embarrassment. "Your bell rang so imperatively that--"
"I didn't ring any bell, my dear," he exclaimed, "but still I amuncommonly glad to see you. Sit down and we'll have a little chat."
"There is a customer awaiting my return as soon as you--"
"Oh, hang the customer," cut in Kendale. "Sit down, pretty one, andwe'll make each other's acquaintance."
Margery looked at him in helpless bewilderment.
Had handsome Lester Armstrong, the hero of her dream, gone suddenly mad,she wondered?
"Sit down, my dear," he reiterated, "don't look at me in such affright.I'm not an ogre; I don't intend to eat you, though, upon my honor, thosepeachy cheeks and pomegranate lips are most wonderfully tempting."
Margery was so intensely surprised she was fairly speechless--incapableof word or action.
From where she stood the fumes of strong brandy reached her, and sherealized that the man before her was under its influence to an alarmingextent.
No wonder her pretty face paled; even her lips grew white.
She stood before him as one mesmerized by the baleful gleam in hismerciless concentrated gaze, as the fluttering, frightened bird does inthe presence of the deadly serpent that means to destroy it.
"Won't be sociable, eh?" muttered Kendale. "You are not diplomatic; youdon't know your own interests. Sit down here and tell me all aboutyourself--how long you have been here, and all about it. I ought toknow, of course, but I forget. Come, brush up my memory a bit, won'tyou?"
"Your memory seems indeed very poor all at once," said Margery,spiritedly, "considering the fact that you have known me since I was alittle child"--and, in spite of her efforts at self-control, big tearsbrimmed over the pretty eyes and rolled down the round cheeks.
In an instant Kendale was on his feet.
"There, there, Susie, don't cry," he said, reaching her side quickly andgrasping both of the little clasped hands in one of his.
"You must have some one else in your mind--that is quite evident. Pleaseto recollect that I am Margery Conway, not--not Susie--whoever she maybe."
He laughed a rollicking, maudlin laugh. The brandy was beginning todiffuse itself through his brain.
"I'll never call you anything but Margery again," he cried, "beautiful,peerless Margery, the sweetest, jolliest, most bewitching and lovableshop girl in all New York."
The young girl looked at him with dilated eyes. Every impulse in herterrified heart warned her to turn and fly from the place, but it wasall in vain. She could not have moved hand or foot if her very life hadbeen the forfeit.
"So you are toiling away in a place like this for a mere pittance," hewent on; "probably hardly enough to keep soul and body together. That'sa confounded shame for a pretty girl like you. Work isn't for such asyou--you ought to be out in the sunshine, dressed in silks and velvetsand diamonds galore. It's bad enough for the old and ugly--those whosehair is streaked with gray and around whose eyes the crow's feet havebeen planted by the hand of time, to work--ay, toil for their bread. ByJove, I say you are far too lovely for such a fate!"
"Sir!" cried Margery, drawing herself up to her fullest height. "I workfor my living, but I want you to understand that I am proud of the fact,instead of deeming it a disgrace, as you seem to think it.
"Up to this hour I have always considered you a man of honor--one ofnature's noblemen--a gentleman. Now I know you as you are--a _roue_--ay,a scoundrel. I would scorn to remain another hour in your employ. Moneyearned in this establishment from this moment would burn my fingers."
"Hoity-toity! Don't get big feelings too suddenly, my pretty dear," hecried, with a load, hilarious laugh. "Lord! what simpletons some girlsare! You're standing in your own light, pretty one! Can't you see that?"
"Sir!" cried Margery, struggling to free herself from the grasp of hisstrong hand, "it is dastardly, it is cowardly to summon me here tosubject me to--insult."
"'Pon my honor, I want to be friendly, but you won't have it so--youseem determined to kick up a row. Come, now, be friendly; sit down hereand we'll talk it over."
"Unhand me!" cried Margery in terror. "Let me go, or I shall scream forhelp!"
"You won't do any such thing, my little ruffled birdling," he cut in, anangry light leaping up into his eyes, adding: "I am disposed to treatyou very kindly, but you seem determined to make an enemy of me insteadof a friend, my dear, and your reason ought to tell you how foolish thatis. Come, be sensible and listen to me. I've taken a violent fancy tothat pretty face of yours. We must be friends--excellent friends. That'sa good beginning, you know."
Margery glanced toward the door, the fright deepening in her eyes. Hehad placed himself between her and the door, kicking it to with hisfoot.
He saw that quick glance, and read it aright, and his brow darkened.
"Don't be a little fool!" he cried. "Don't anger me, girl. You hadbetter make a friend instead of an enemy of me."
"Your enmity or friendship is a matter of equal indifference to me now,"gasped Margery, sobbing bitterly.
"You have slain my respect for you. I--I am sorry--sorry from the bottomof my heart--that I realize you have fallen from such a noble height inmy estimation."
"That's all bosh and moonshine," hiccoughed Kendale; "respect and highpedestal of honor and all that sort of thing. You're among the clouds;get down to earth. I'm only a man--you mustn't take me for a little god.Come, now, what in the name of reason is the use of making such a fussover this thing, and storming like an angry princess on the stagebecause I tell you frankly that I've taken a notion to you. By George,you ought to be mighty pleased to know that you've captured the fancy ofa man like me, with no end of money at my command. Do you realize that,little one?"
The girl's terror was growing intense with each passing moment.
Her horror and dread of the man before her was a thousand-fold greaterat that moment than her admiration for Lester Armstrong had been in daysgone by. He seemed to her a different being in the same form--onesuddenly transformed from all that was manly and noble to a very fiendincarnate.
An awful stillness had fallen over the girl--a full realization of themeaning of his jocular remarks was just dawning upon her. She waslooking at him with the awful pallor of death on her lovely young face.
"Come, my pretty Margery," he cried, quite mistaking the reason that herstruggle to free herself from his clasping hand had so suddenly ceased;"now you are falling into a more complaisant mood. I am glad of that.Sit down and we'll talk. I must lock that door, or some blundering foolwill be stumbling in without taking the trouble to knock. But first giveme a kiss from those sweet lips, my dear, to assure me you don't quitedislike me, you know."
As he spoke he flung his arm about the girl's slender waist, and it wasthen that Margery's piercing scream rang out so loudly upon her father'sears, fairly electrifying him as he stood with his hand upon the knob ofthe door of the private office.
Mischievous Maid Faynie Page 19
