Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

POKER while, in superheated wrath, he had several times this evening considered abandoning his job, the idea brought a strange chill to him now. If he knew Curlew’s insistence upon sterling honesty in the office force— which he did—he knew also the cynical and skeptical sneer with which Curlew would hear an explanation of Mrs. Whitmore’s presence in the case, knew that dark sus- picion of some fathomless conspiracy would leap instantly into the Curlew brain; knew, in conclusion, that without ever bothering to probe to the bottom of it a disgusted Curlew would dismiss his alleged partner. Another man might hear and appreciate and chuckle, but Curlew wasn’t either pa- tient or charitable about such things. James had been hired to act one lie this evening; the disclosure that he had been acting two of them would be amply sufficient to end his connection with Henry Curlew, Incor- porated. And at the same time there be things which no man can subordinate to mere bread winning, things to the enduring of which in cowardly silence starvation is much to be preferred and—James, hot eyes rest- ing upon the clock as his angry head came up, abruptly forgot his entire problem for the moment. The hour hand had long since passed the quarter; now it was crawling down toward half past ten and—where was Henry Cur- lew? | Young Mr. Whitmore rose with a jerk and looked around wildly. He’d have to summon Gorely, of course, and have him hunt out his employer and—what was that? Somebody was stumbling around or along the corridor beyond; James, speeding to the door, all but collided with Henry Curlew himself. Eyes slightly bleared, hair slight- ly rumpled, the elder man puffed excitedly as he cried: “ What the—what—why didn’t you send for me, Whitmore? What’s the matter with your Are you plain crazy? Look at the time!” 7 3 ‘‘T have been looking at it. Where were you?” “ Asleep, of course. I sat down on the edge of an infernal chair up there and went sound asleep! I—” FACES. 5 ‘Well, did you find the telephone num- ber?” “It wasn’t there. I don’t know what’s become of it. Look in the book, Whitmore; look for Banford and—no, never mind. Don’t look. They’re on their way to the station long before this! Get your hat and coat. Where the devil’s Gorely? What? I’ve had my hand on this button ever since I came into this room, haven’t I? Ha! Gorely, is that cab here? It is? All right! Mr. Whitmore’s things, Gorely. Hustle!” Then, calming somewhat, he laid-a rather shaky hand on James’s arm. ‘ Whitmore, give me your whole attention for ten sec- onds. Get down there to the Penn Station and head ’em off. Say that Pemmerly called up again and he’s on his way to New York and he'll be here some time during the morning. Make it spectacular and impres- sive—breathless stuff, you know, as if you’d about killed yourself getting there in time. And then bring them back here, both of them. Be sure to bring the girl, whatever she says or wants to do. We didn’t even have a finger nail grip on Dixon till I rang in that girl and I wouldn’t part with her now for ten thousand dollars until I’m through with him. That’s all clear, Whitmore?” ‘Tt is,’ James said coldly. ““Go!” croaked the head of the firm. <4 Go pe? So James went, speeding away without further comment, leaping into the taxicab at the curb. But the address he barked at the driver was not the Pennsylvania Sta- tion; it was that of his own home. There were reasons and they were not of the black, unworthy sort. Betty, you see, was just a little kid after all—just a little kid, greatly piqued, playing with a kind of fire she really did not understand. Beyond any reasonable doubt, it had been Betty’s intention to crown a mad evening by letting Dixon take her home and there dismissing him and ending the matter. And if she had been able to end it there, all was well—and there was hardly a chance’ in the world that she had been-able to end it there. Dixon, the masterful, overwhelming brute type, had insisted upon seeing her to the very door of the flat, at ieast. After that, GCOMIGDoOOo S COLA