Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 163: what you’re looking at

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

THE MILLIONAIRE PIKER. “ That’s what makes me mad. He said he was so hard up that I’d have to help out. “Why, even yesterday he gave me only fifty dollars for some curtains and things aiter promising me a hundred.” “You say you haven’t lived in the apartment in Jersey?” ‘“That’s eight. We've had it only a month, and we’re just beginning to get it comfortably furnished. Say, I wonder what he thought he could get away with? Married already, was he? You can bet Til fix him.” ‘“‘ Miss Long, I think you have a perfect case of breach of promise against Mr. Garretson.”’ “1 think so myself?’ . “How much damages do you think would recompense you for the way he has treated you?” “What do you think you can get for me?” ‘““T don’t know, but we ought to get at least twenty-five thousand dollars from him, out of which ss woue want ten thousand for our services.’ “Say, if you can get me fifteen thou- sand dollars, go to it, and don’t waste any time. I need the money.” “ All right. Jl call Miss Keyes to take your statement, but please don’t interrupt me during the dictation. I know the facts that are necessary for you to be successful, and you had better leave the narration of them all to me.” He stepped out of the room and returned with Miss Keyes. He started to dictate: “Memo. of statement made to Thomas Remington and Anderson Talmage this third day of January, 1919. Paragraph. My full name is Mildred Long. [I live at 835 Universal Avenue, Borough of Man- hattan, New York City. I am—” He turned to his client and asked, “ How old are you, Miss Long?” “ Twenty-two.” He continued: ‘‘ I am twenty-two years old. I met John Garretson about six months ago. He told me his name was Howard Andrews, and that he was em- ployed by the Traders Bank, that he was secretary to the president of the bank.” He interrupted the dictation to ask an- | 635 other question, ‘‘ When did you rent this apartment in Newark, Miss Long?” She told him they had rented it on the first of December and had been furnishing it since, and he continued: “Qn December first he and I rented an apartment in Newark, New Jersey. We were to be married and move into it as soon as we had it fully furnished. I have been saving everything I could out of my salary as a stenographer and have put it into household furnishings. He told me that he was very hard up, and so I have put about as much money into the furnish- ings as he has.” “ That is right, isn’t it, Miss Long?” he asked. “Every word of it,’’ she replied. “Take this, Miss Keyes. Paragraph. Two months after I met him he asked me to marry him, telling me that he was tired of living as a bachelor and that he felt-the need of a wife and of a real home. I told him I would have to have time to think the matter over, and he told me to take all the time I wanted. Two days afterward he asked me if I had come to a decision, and I told him then I would marry him. He was delighted, apparently, but said that we would have to wait until about the first of the year, for he expected a promotion at the bank. Paragraph. Yesterday, while in Hong Low’s Restaurant in Chinatown, he informed me that he would not marry me. That made me suspicious, as he gave me no reason for not marrying, and in fact he refused to give any reason. I then made some inquiries, and I found out, much to my surprise, that he is John Garretson, president of the Traders Bank. I stood out in front of the bank this merning and saw him get out of his automobile and enter the bank. Paragraph. The following people have met me with Mr. Garretson and know of his relations with me, although. they know him as Howard Andrews. Tab- ulate these, Miss Keyes.” He turned to Miss Long and said: “ You give her the names, please.” | Miss Long then said: “ First, the land- lady, Mrs. Adolph Aaronsohn, then Ma- tilda Matthews, my pal, Leong, the waiter in the restaurant. We used to go there a (E@) (COA Kel NOOKS