Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

432 clearly. This man before fifen held the sit- uation in the hollow of his hand. Anger crept into his veiled eyes, his jaws set hard. Sands brushed his heavy blond mustache with the back of his hand and laughed con- temptuously, for Sands—no matter what might be said of him—was a fighter and abhered the slightest sign of weakness. Buckwell put his hands on the chair arms, “Tm going,” he said. “Wait,” snapped Sands, in that domi- neering tone which was a part of him and an insult in itself, : In answer to the bell Sands pressed there came into the library, from the room across the narrow front hall, a young man, John Deston, Sands’s secretary. He came quickly, quietly, with notebook and pen in hand. In his eyes was a sharp searching regard, but about his mouth there lurked the suggestion that geniality was lightly masked. ‘“Needn’t take any notes of this, = erowled Sands. Deston waited, silent, attentive. a clear mental picture of Buckwell without having looked in his direction. “This man is done for,’’ boomed forth Sands’s deep voice.“ I am taking over all his affairs. -He’s a beggar now, ready to start the fight anew at forty. We'll see how far he goes by the time he’s my age. To-morrow he will resign the presidency of all the companies he is supposed to be run- ning. Listen!” Sands swung on his sec- tetary with a snarl so savage that Deston, as accustomed as he was to his employer’s moods, was shocked. “‘ This man knew my -wife before I married her. She would like to get a divorce from me and marry him. Now he knows why he is broke—perhaps you know that I haven’t been asleep.” Deston’s brows gathered. He realized ‘Sands was speaking to him, not to Buck-. well, and that there was a personal appli- cation in the words which he should grasp. “Tt’s a lie,” thundered Buckwell, sud- denly sensing the meaning in Sands’s words. _* Who in—” _ A swift gesture on Sands’s part silenced ~ the angry man as it swept him toward the ‘door. He had ton?” he suddenly demanded. ARGOSY- ALLST ORY ‘WEEKLY. “ Get out,” he snarled, as one might send a dog from his presence. Buckwell looked Sands over, glanced at Deston, and walked across the room. He had squared his shoulders. At the door into the narrow front hall he paused. It was one step into the hall, another out the open door to the broad veranda. “Tm not as near done for as you fancy,” he said, striving to hold his voice even. “You and your damnable ways have gone the limit this time. You'll get yours, and your money will do you lots of good—in hell.” He went out, across the veranda, down the gravel walk and—after a little—his car whirled away into the night. Deston looked at the clock and noted the time, as was usual; every caller at Sands’s “ office ” was set down, the time he came and the time he leit. Willet Sands did not seem to have heard Buckwell’s threat. He sat turning a paper weight in his big, hairy, freckled hand. . “ You heard what I said to him, Des- walk up to the house, tell Miss Thurston ~ 1 shall not be there Fe evening until late —she Just came out—and you needn’t come back. “You have an appointment at nine te ty with Mr. Vrooman,” suggested Deston. “I’m aware of the fact. What has that to do with your not coming back?” The tone brought a frown to Deston’s face. It was his business to understand the slightest inflection in Willet Sands’s voice or mood, and to-night he seemed wool gath- ering. “You can deliver that message, I Racy. before you pack, can’t you? You may use your room to-night if you wish, or you can have a car take you where you care to go. it is nothing to me as long as you are off the place by noon to-morrow. Vou can “ You needn’t come back here to your work,” he added as he noted Deston’s growing surprise. ‘Is that clear now? I don’t usually have to tell you things twice and then explain them.” “You mean that I am discharged?” cried Deston, utterly dumfounded. Willet Sands looked the younger man up NIiGDoOOo Sj (EC) (EO) mae