Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

eee = psciok ‘went clamming with Tucker. He = amet a smart leather case stuffed with an eye-filling wardrobe, including a Scotch = Gricehocker suit and pigskin brogans, and looked like a million dollars. He and Bence met, and he heard the latter’s pro- eh and added some invaluable sugges- _ tions. Three days passed, and not by word or ee look had he indicated to the Slapper that = his visit was anything but the quite natu- -___ ral dropping in of an-old and valued friend. Letty thought him wonderful, and Ma — Tucker nearly burst with pride at his praises. of her cooking. os ‘on a hot afternoon, he told the ; When the roadster had swept them a mile eyond the Hendrie place, he spoke. == “Know what I came for, Slapper?”’ = “« No, sir.” Sat You saved me from taking the high | voliage. Natural that I should feel in- terested in : in you. ‘A man remembers little & € og all ight é the Slapper mumbled. ae squared me.’ Tron Reedy aE =a *y do know it. I’ve had my eye on you © ie jong time. Found out you was one of == = the few who could keep his trap closed. 1 ~_ €an buy any other kind of service; but not = that Your kind has to be born that way.” : "among The ae =e = _ “T came up here first of all to ‘tell you = “Tm clean. No need of your sticking along here any more. —And I had it in mind to take -you back with me, and make you a — ~ sort of right- -hand man. But now, [ don’t __ know. ‘You look like a new man, Slapper! Guess it agrees with you, huh?” ‘Sure. I’m all right.” nother period of silence, while they 3 rounded the cape and came in sight of the lighthouse sentineling its bleak rock a half p Uishotes: But he had it coming to him! -ARGOSY-ALLST ORY ‘WEEKLY. Se That Letty girl—she thinks sete well of you,” Reedy said unexpectedly. “ Like her, don’t your” — The Slapper reddened. “They don’t make ’em no better!” Reedy nodded. “I know. She’s reas. Can’t remember when I’ve seen one just _like her. Did you know I was born in a little place like this No? Well, I was. On the west coast of Ireland. But I’d for- got about it, mostly. Lived among imita- tions and shadows and four-flushers so long. Know why I blotted out Joe Watts?” Reedy was given to startling changes of conversation. ~The Slapper shook his head. 3 . “ Well, let it ride that way. He’s dead. | it cor . And T'd do ~ it over again, if I had to go to the chair. So that’s that! But I want to square you; and now that EF see how things stand, I’ve changed my mind. T’m going back. I’m too old to change. Habits fixed. You _ know, I never lushed any. And the-wom- en haven’t bothered me much. Gambled a little, but not to make money. Just for fun. Power! That’s all I want. It’s a disease. You know, Slapper, I hold five _ thousand votes in the hollow of Tay hand. ___Like that.” “He freed his left from the big wheel, and held it out, fingers clenched. “Gives a bird a funny feeling, some- times. JI walk down the avenue, and pass men I know, but who don’t know me from a yellow cat. Big ones. Millionaires. Blue bloods. Men with all sorts of backing and protection. And I could get any one of "em croaked at an hour’s notice! Just a whispered sentence. I got all sorts in my gang, just like an army has. Killers, ex- pert electricians, doctors, crooked lawyers, all sorts. Get any kind of a job done. Have any crib in the burg cracked for me, to get a paper I need, or a chunk of ice. And when I agree to deliver five thousand votes and there’s only four thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine cast, then I know somebody’s crooked, or got himself pinched!” The Slapper listened, fascinated. This = To have the power over men — : and Property, | to > elect ie: Tight one = - i — ~- Oo _ a a eee S - ic A haa ag are re ™ = A — = ee ~ Re eee ~ > i — ‘was the life!