Adventure Magazine Cover — page 190: what you’re looking at

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

“a rs chest, “you expect my client to pay his - money out without being assured of receiv- ing the object of purchase.” “He can have the object all right.”’ “How do we know, sir?” demanded Par- _ sons with further expanse of chest. “Because I said so.” ° “Oh!” It was an insulting as he could make it. “The governor of Utah is in this hotel. I meet him in five minutes. If I haven’t your money by that time, you, Cornwall, — will probably go to the penitentiary for per- jury and conspiracy—for sheltering a guilty man when you knew that Steve Ellis was innocent of the murder of his wife!’’ That was a turn in the affairs that had not been expected. Cornwall started out of his chair shivering, and his thin hands géstured frightenedly as he said— — “Pay him—pay him—quick!”’ Mr. Parsons handed me a check, a cashier’s check for one hundred and thirty thousand dollars, and held out the receipt. The check was made out, as I had in- sisted, to J. C. Collins. Parsons thought it ‘was my alias or one of them. . I scrawled a signature of some kind onto the paper, but my eyes were on the detec- tives. No sooner had I dropped the pen than they, awaiting their cues, stepped forward. “The box, sir!” demanded Parsons. “Look up the word box in that dictionary,” I taunted them. ‘It’s there.” In a sort of stupid bewilderment all eyes turned toward the large book. “T might have known it, I might have knownit!”” Cornwall squeaked. “Allis lost!” “Allis not lost,” cried the Parsons person Napoleonically. ““That scoundrel—” he leveled an accusing finger at me— “shall pay for this! Officers, do your duty!” “Ves, officers, do!”’ I said, for I had seen what was coming as far off as one sees a headlight. “Put up your hands!” They stepped back, their hands going upward, for there was a gun in each one of mine. I moved to the door. carefully laid one ‘ gun at my feet, opened the door and with- out looking around thrust out the check. . “Everything’s going fine,” I said without looking around. ‘“Yon’ve just got time to get to the bank—if youhurry. I don’t think they’ll want to stop payment on it but you can never tell.” {? said. He was gone. detectives and stood them up where I could watch then with the least effort. “Cornwall,” I said, “you probably thought you could get the dead woman to have God forgive you if you stole her daughter—took the girl away from a father whom you knew to be innocent of all the crimes that threw him repeatedly into the penitentiary. That — is all you know about women, living or dead. Personally, I have an idea that her spirit — kept nagging at the conscience of Governor Walsh until he was roused to dare do what he knew was right. No, I’m not religious but I believe in the devil. How can one help it when such things as you, with the pro- tection and aid of fellows like Parsons here and these fat dicks, cumber the earth. If you want Your box is in that dictionary. it, look it up. I promised it and I usually keep my promises, even to rich crooks.” Parsons; puffing and-angry, began orator- ically to warn me of what was due to happen to me and to explain how I could not escape. He was interrupted bya knock on the door. “Come in,” I said. The door opened and Steve Ellis and Governor Walsh, amazement scrawled across their faces, came in slowly. “There is one more to come,” I reminded the boy who had showed them in. “Yes, : sir.” “Then notify Mr. Richmond—you re- member?”’ “Yes.sr.”’ 7 I closed the door and turned around to look with complacence upon my little pri- vate drama which was progressing quite well for an impromptu rehearsal. aie had their hands up. That there might not be any mistake as to their identity, when I searched I had taken the precaution of causing them to move their large badges into a more conspicuous posi- tion and remarked: ; “What a fine advertisement this will be for your agency when it gets into the papers. Everything relating to Cornwall and my- self, you know, gets into the papers.” There they stood, nearly bursting withshame. _ Joseph shivered in the deep plush chair, THE two detectives against the wall and Mr. Parsons\rocked back and forth, glaring passionately from toe to heel. He _ oR . 5 ~ ? “ ~~ — > > - - : * : ‘ ; < ’ Dr. Collins had not paused to hear all I = . I closed the door, — picked up the other gun, swiftly searched the - ix