Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

- water. NOTHING BUT MONEY. it did not reappear. The boat, when lowered, found no trace of the suicide. _ The passengers talked excitedly. It was - quite a thrill for the ordinary suburbanite on his way to work. The captain of the ferryboat, accompanied by a policeman who happened to be crossing, approached Hil- win. 3 “The man who jumped over was talking to you, wasn’t he?” Yes.” “ Did you know him?” “No. - Just happened to be standing alongside of me.” “ Did he say anything about what he was going to do?”’ ‘No. I said the water was pretty cold for a swim, and he laughed and said there was no accounting for tastes. Then he jumped. He did it so quickly I didn’t have a chance to stop him.” ‘‘ That’s that,” said the policeman,” shut- ting his notebook. “ Takes all kinds of people to make a world.” After they had gone Hilwin remembered the suicide had presented him with his bag. He looked around for it and saw an ordi- nary black traveling satchel at his feet. “T suppose I ought to turn it over to the police,” he reflected. “Guess [Il have a look first. After all, he gave it to me and it’s a good bag. Don’t suppose there is anything valuable in it or he wouldn't have committed suicide.” So when the ferryboat tied up at her slip, Hilwin picked up the black bag and walked ashore with it. “No use of dragging the thing all the way to the office. Might as well check it somewhere.” Accordingly he left it at a fruit store which picked up small change by checking parcels for folks coming off the ferries. Hilwin was an assistant auditor in a cot- ton brokerage house in the Woolworth Building. He was twenty-four years old, unmarried and earned twenty-five dollars per week. A graduate of Princeton, three years out of college, he had found the busi- ness of living rather difficult. Many college men acquire influential friends, own wealthy relatives and make valuable acquaintances, but Hilwin, despite his success as a football 187 player, had been forced to rely strictly upon his own, Like many youngsters, he felt that he was not doing well; that he was underpaid and unappreciated, and such an attitude on his part made him a bit careless regarding his work. He was twenty minutes late at the office this morning. Braden, his deckmate, grinned at him dis- agreeably. ‘ This time you are going to get it, old man. Simpson was looking for you and it sounds like the dead march.” Rather nervously Harry entered the inner — office, where J. E. Simpson, head of the firm, lurked in his lair. “Good afternoon, Mr. Hilwin. This makes the fourth time you have been late in. three weeks,” ‘““T’ve worked overtime ten nights in a month without complaining to do the work piled up as a result of insufficient help in the outer office,” replied Harry with spirit. ‘* Well, well,” said the cotton magnate. “Ys that a fact? I don’t like overtime. I| don’t ask it. I think a first class accountant would not have to putter over his books ten nights in three weeks. I am afraid you will break down from overwork, Mr. Hil- win. I wouldn’t have it on my conscience. Get your time, Mr. Hilwin. Get your time.” » He busied himself with the papers on his desk and Harry slid out of the office quietly and considerably crestfallen. ‘So that’s how it feels to be fired,” he mused as he sauntered in an ostentatiously careless fashion to his desk, ignoring the in- quiring glances of Braden. However, his packing preparations were unmistakable. “Gee, old man, I didn’t think he would really can you,” said Braden, contritely. “Tm sorry I laughed at you. I thought it was just a tongue lashing.” “J wasn’t canned. I resigned. I told him that I had worked ten nights in the last three weeks without complaining, and I didn’t see why he should kick if I were a few minutes late in the morning.” “You talked to him like that? It’s a wonder he didn’t bite you.” “Td like to see him try it,”’ snorted Hil- win. “I’m sick of this place anyway. The next time you see me Tl! have a ral. jah,”