Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 3 — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

“wf Bert regarded the fidgeting youth, and nodded his head wisely. He had suddenly connected the boy’s vague statement with his strange ride with David Hodge the night of the Chamber of Commerce dance. ‘The boy knew something, he decided, and he was going to find out definitely what it was. “ What’s your name, kiddo?”’ he asked kindly. “ Amos,” returned the other. ‘* Honest Injun, I never meant nothin’.”’ “ Well, Amos,” said Bert. “ You and I are going up to my room and have a little talk. I believe that you have something to tell me, and you may be able to help me a lot by telling it. Come on.” - Amos hung back. ‘Gosh! I ain’t got nothin’ ter tell. I gotter git back to work.” ' “ Come on,” said Bert, aiding the boy’s lagging steps by a firm grip of his arm, fairly dragging him toward the stairway. _“T believe you’re a friend ih need, Amos.” A half-hour later, Bert let Amos out of his room into the stil corridor. “Yer know what ‘lbappen ter me if he finds out I told yer,’’ Amos whispered. ‘“‘ He'll do fer me sure. He don’t know I tald David, even, an’ if he did, he’d—”’ “ Don’t let it worry yer, Amos,” assured Bert. ‘ That threat of Turner’s was only to frighten you, so that you’d keep your mouth shut. But I won’t bring you into this at all. Ill wait up here for a while, unt you’re on your way back to the sta- tion, so no one will know you and I were together this morning. Now run along, - and don’t tell any one you spoke to me.” Left alone, Bert mentally recapitulated | the information that Amos had given him. ’ The .boy’s story cleared up many matters about which Bert had often wondered: why David Hodge had kept him from at- tending the dance; how Turner had been able to gain entrance into the room at the Majestic in which Paprika had taken ref- uge, and why he had gone to the extreme of killing the fugitive. When he dashed from his room a few minutes later, he had formed no definite plan of action. He only knew that he wanted to confront Turner with his accu- sations 3; to show him that he, Bert, was not ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. yet a “ dead one,” but.an opponent to be reckoned with. As he emerged from the Palace, he saw Ruth Warren walking on the other side of the street. He crossed to her, approaching her so suddenly that she looked up mto his flushed face with startled eyes. ‘J won’t bother you but a minute, Miss Warren,” he said, standing before her. “I have something very important to ask you.” “Certainly, Mr. Boom,” she replied, ‘ What is it?” ‘““ What I want to knew is—did you see. Ellis Turner at the Chamber of Commerce dance?” ¢¢ Why—yes.”’ ‘Was any one with him?” “He was with that man you—saved me from later,” she replied. ‘“ He introduced him to me as a Mr. Blake, a business asso- ciate’ from—Texas, I believe.” - “Thank you,” he #said, turning, as if about to leave. Then he paused and faced her again. ‘“ Miss Warren,’ he said quiet- ly, but with that marked suppression that revealed the anger that flared within him at this certain corroberation of Amos’s Story, ‘““T know that Turner told you this morning that he had me licked. He hasn’t. You just confirmed something that I heard recently—and I’m going to break Turner with it—right now! When I get through with him I’It have done the first of the three things I told you I was going to do. You remember what f told you tat morn- ing on Majestic Road?” A flush mounted to her cheeks, but she made no reply. “T told you,” he went on, “ that I was going to beat Turner, and revive the Ma- jestic, and—and that I was going to make you like me. Well, I suppose the last is impossible—now, but the first two aren't, despite Turner’s boast!” She looked at him in wondering amaze- ment. | “J_] don’t know— what you mean? - Why are you telling me this—” ° “T wanted you to know that I’m not beaten — entirely,” he replied. “ That’s all.” ECOMNIC OOOKS @ Colin