Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

SENOR JINGLE BELLS. “T could do that. I could fix things up with the district attorney plumb easy. Him and me are after the big crooks, not tne little ones.” ‘“T got to wait and take my chance,” said Little Samuel lugubriouslv. And there he stuck. The fear of the prison bars was not half so great as his dread of E] Cantor’s vengeance in case of betrayal. And the Sheriff, after taking the prisoner back, found none other than Margaret Swain at the door of the building. ‘“T want to see Little Samuel,” said she. To the sheriff such a request, from such a Jady, was a command. He put the door wide, conducted her to the cell adjoining that of Little Samuel, and left her there to talk with bim through the bars. “All I’m askin’,” grinned Walter Long, ‘is that you’ll not pass him in a file or a steel saw.” As for Little Samuel, he could not get over gaping at his beautiful visitor, and certain pangs of a guilty conscience shot through and through the heart of the negro. Her first words put all these doubts to rest. ‘* Samuel,” she began, ‘SI have come to find out what I can do for your comfort. I want to help your master, and I want to help you. Tell me what you want.” ‘“A mighty smart lawyer, ma’am,” Little Samuel replied. ‘ That’s what I need the most of; one of them fast talkin’ gents that could fool twelve men if they was lis- tenin’ to him all at once.” She could not help smiling. ‘‘T have spoken to Thomas Cardiff. He is a young lawyer,” she said, ‘“ but he’s a very capable one. He'll handle your case well, I know, and do for you everything that could be expected.” “Lady,” said Little Samuel, “ they ain't no way how I can tell you the gratitude—”’ “Hush,” the girl interrupted. ‘‘ You don’t have to say such things. But what I wish to know above all is, are you going to remain true to your master, or are you going to inform against him, Samuel?” He scratched his head and stared at her, as if uncertain what answer would please her. “Or,” she added, “is there anything against him?” 9A 929 Little Samuel grinned. ‘“Not more’n enough, ma’am,” said he, ‘to put about a regiment in jail for the rest of their lives.” ‘“ Has he been so terrible?” sighed the irl, Little Samuel observed with an acute eye that she was not altogether unsympa- thetic toward his master; so he replied: ‘I dunno that I’d call him more’n sort of active, ma’am.” ‘ Active?” smiled the girl. breaking laws, you mean?” “Look here, ma’am,” said Little Sam- uel, “ was you ever a little girl with freckles on your nose?” ‘“Why—.”’ she began, and then laughed as she answered: “Of course I was, Sam- uel.” ‘* What sort of cherries tasted the best— them that was in your own back yard, or them across the way in the old orchard, where the gent that owned it'kept a double- barreled shotgun loaded with rock salt, and kept a couple of dogs that wouldn’t think nothin’ of eatin’ folks alive? Which cher- ries was the dog-gone best-tastin’ ones?” She chuckled, nodding at him with her bright, understanding eyes. “The stolen cherries, of course, Sam- uel.” ‘Well, lady, suppese that you was the best tree climber in the county, and that you could run so dog-gone fast that the dog couldn’t catch you, would you be spendin’ much time in your own orchard, or would you be visitin’ around with the other folks pretty regular when they wasn’t ex- pectin’ you or invitin’ you?” ‘I understand,” sighed she; ‘ but after all he’s no longer a boy. There is a time when people must grow up, Samuel!”’ ‘‘T dunno,” said Samuel, ‘“ that I ever met up with a gent that was worth his salt that wasn’t tolerable young in some- thin’ or other, no matter how much he might be growed up in others.” ‘And in what, Samuel, is your master grown up?” ‘For keepin’ his word clean bright—and It ain’t never been even suspected—and for standin’ up to his promises, which ain’t never been broke—and for fearin’ “ Active in (CO) mMICLOOOK