Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 12, 1927 — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

\ Sa : . UA ’ \ : = ~ “ha Nt” : Lae _ , a Fa Vf” ry By GORDON STILES RS. ANNA CONTI frowned and answered the buzzer. In the dim light of the dingy hail of her East Side flat, she could discern the outlines of a small man whose husky voice inquired: ‘“‘ Got any old bottles, lady? Got any news- papers or rags? Any old brass or copper —anyt’ing you don’ want? I pay good price for old stuff.” . The woman considered for a moment. The Contis were thrifty people and she was far from loath to exchange anything which might be useless for the desirable American dollars which she and her husband, Joseph, had been pursuing so ardently for all the years they had been in this country. Joseph’s vocation of general laborer did not provide much of a margin after living expenses were paid. And their goal was a truck farm somewhere in New Jersey or Connecticut. Hastily running over in her mind their various possessions; she told the man: “Wait a minute.” She disappeared into a closetlike arrangement at the end of the hall and presently called to the junkman to come. He found her looking critically at a dilapidated heating stove with one broken leg. Mrs. give?” ‘One dollar,” replied the other promptly. The lady shook her head. “ T’ree dol- lar,” she demanded. The man made a disparaging gesture and turned as if to leave. Then he paused, came back and said: “ Two dollar,’ in tones most final. So Mrs. Conti said: ‘ All right.”’ The purchaser tentatively lifted a corner of his property, shrugged his shoulders and made his way to the street. Two bleary- eyed men, lounging in the sunshine came slowly across at the junkman’s hail. He explained that a silver quarter await- ed any one who would carry a small stove from the ground floor back to his wagon which stood at the curb and after a vain effort to raise the ante, the pair shuffled within and shortly reappeared, bearing the latest. addition to the miscellaneous collec- tion in the cart. Conti asked: “How much you Mrs. Conti placed the two dollar bills in her stocking against the return from work 14 | SN rr ee i i aa Sx eats nS tind Ne Oe om = = - = >> as Een a ee “comicbooks