Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

GRAFT. the girls. With feverish haste, they began boring air holes through the trunk’s sides and top. Phil, after removing the drawers -and clothes hangers which were part of its “ fittings, began to smash and clear away the tramework upon which the drawers rested, while Phelim hastened downstairs to inter- view his friend, the head porter. A very few minutes sufficed for all these things. Phil crouched in the trunk; Aunt Sophronia closed the two halves and lowered the top. The key was in its lock; she turned it and handed it to Phelim as the latter entered the room. “The head porter will be roight here, ma’am, bringin’ wan of his men, so as to carry the thrunk clane and aisy,” said he. Tn the meanwhoile, I’ll get it out inta the hall meself.”’ He was a powerful man, and it was no difficult task for him to carry that trunk out of the room and set it down near the head of the stairs, which the head porter and an assistant were ascending. He nod- ded to them and grinned. The head-porter nodded and grinned in return. “ Ve'll get it down to me place straight off, Pat?” said Phelim. * “Straight off; a motor truck is waitin’. You can ride along with it if ye like, Phelim, and—hello! What in blazes do you want here?” — These disrespectful words were addressed to the district attorney who, with several uniformed policemen at his heels, had fol- lowed the two porters, at some distance, up the stairs. He smiled evilly. “T saw you talking with O’Rourke, here,” said he, “so I thought Id trail along and have a look at the baggage you were going to move.” “ Well—there it is—you see it,” was the porter’s response. ‘‘ But you'll not see it long. Here, Harry,” he added, addressing his assistant. “Catch hold!” “Not so fast!” cried Dunning; and at a motion from him one of the policemen inter- posed between the trunk and the two port- ers. Dunning approached, and as he did so his face lighted. “T thought so—air holes!” he cried, see- ing one of the inexpertly bored gimlet holes. “We've got our man! Here,” he added, 771 turning toward the policemen. ‘“ Open this trunk—open it any way youcan, The fire axe will do the trick—grab it!” ‘“ Not without a war’nt ye won’t!” cried Phelim, stepping forward. ‘‘ The responsibility’s mine—you do as I say!” called the district attorney, and turn~ ing, one of the policemen lifted the axe from its brackets. By a feat of legerdemain that would do credit to a professional conjurer, a stubby, automatic pistol appeared from nowhere in particular, in Phelim’s hand. “Muller,” he said to the policeman, speaking very quietly, “‘ as sure as the div- vie wears petticoats, just so sure, if ye touch this thrunk, will I shoot yez so full av lead thot it’ll take a derrick for to lift yer coffin, bedad!” The policeman drew back; Phelim had a > reputation of meaning what he said, espe- cially on occasions such as this; and such ogcasions had not been infrequent during his political life. The other policemen hesi- tated, as policemen met by such conditions always will. By no means did they lack courage, but the knowledge that the intend- ed procedure had not the Jaw to back it rendered them timid. In vain, therefore, did the district attor- ney scold and storm; it had the effect only of causing the police to grow sullen. Muller, the one who had taken the axe, handed it to Dunning with exaggerated deference, and told him to use it himself. Sullen in his turn, Dunning reluctantly changed his tactics. Ordering the police ta _guard the trunk, and not to allow its re- moval from the spot where it stood, he de- parted in order to obtain the necessary war- rant which, even at that hour, his official position enabled him to do. Still, he was reluctant to go. Phelim, leaning on the trunk, which supported his armed right hand in a posture convenient for immediate action, was grinning still, but grinning mirthlessly, much as a terrier grins in antici-~ pation of the coming of a rat. The district attorney feared some trick, but no choice was left to him. Drawing a little away, he called the policemen around him for a few words of whispered instruction. As he did _ so, Phelim rapped softly on the trunk, to call CoOnmmicoooks (E@