Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

By CHARLES MAGEE ADAMS “ And not only is it the right thing at the — right time that we thus involuntarily do, but — the wrong thing also, if it be an habitual thing.”—WiLLIAM JAMES. T was nine o’clock, Without consulting his watch yet punctually on the vertical moment of the hour, Bruce Morrison stopped examining the morning’s batch of checks, lifted the telephone toward him, and took the receiver from the hook. ““The garage, please,” he directed. Twice a month the eight years he had been cashier of the Atlas Metal Products Company he had called the company’s ga- rage like this, and as he had answered that call those eight years the voice of Camp, the garage superintendent. came promptly over the wire. “The garage, Camp speaking.” “This is Morrison. Will you have a car ready for me at ten, please? This is pay day, you know.” He had always made his quiet request in the same words, and Camp had always made the same reply. But this morning, the morning when it mattered more than on any other, Camp’s customary “ Sure” was not forthcoming. He hesitated. “Why, Bruce,’ he explained instead, * every car in the shop’s out and the chances are there won’t be one in till near fen thirty. Will that be too late?” Late? There had not been a pay day morning those eight years when he had left after ten o’clock, and this morning: “ Yes, it will be too late,” he countered, his voice raised. ‘‘ That won’t leave us time to get the money distributed. It ‘It have to be ten.” Camp considered. “‘ Then I’ll try to have one for you, Bruce,” he promised. ‘ Seems everybody wants a car this morning.” There was a seemingly unnecessary sternness in Morrison’s reply. “ I'll count on you. Don’t fail me. Ten sharp.” And, replacing the receiver, he resumed his me- thodical examination of the neatly stacked checks. 616 S CE) Eomichoo