Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 12, 1927 — page 153: what you’re looking at

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

PICK YOUR OWN MORAL. With -the perverseness that belongs to woman, she swung to his defense. “No! No! I wouldn’t have you stand that sort of talk from anybody! I don’t care who he is! You'll get another job, and show old Bitt where he gets off! It ‘ll be fun, having lunch at home. Won’t it?” She kissed him and sped into the tiny kitchen. IIT. Next morning Billy started out, ham- mering at the portals of other wholesale hardware concerns. The first two or three turn-downs did not discourage him. He was more or less of a specialist, having de- voted most of his experience to the export end of the business. But, as the list of his calls lengthened, he began to wonder if, after all, landing a new berth would be as easy as they had thought. The answer to that came when a whole week had passed and nothing had turned up. There were nightly consultations and much scanning of the help wanted adver- tisements and a terrific amount of letter writing. The payment to the furniture company was made, and the small stock of money dwindled alarmingly. Something had to happen. And with every disappointment, Billy’s rage against Thomas J. Bitt grew apace. He even had wild ideas of striding into that party’s office and shooting him. In this connection, he conjured up a most dramatic scene. He would walk in, cover Thomas J. Bitt with a gun, and pro- ceed to tell him what he was! He could picture Bitt’s terror stricken face as he lis- tened to the fearful arraignment! Then, when it was all over, the gun would speak, and each bullet, as it found a mark in the body of Billy’s enemy, would be accompa- nied by a curse! After that it didn’t matter what hap- pened! If they sent him to the chair, Una would have his life insurance; the policy was incontestable! Bah! It was on the heels of one of these emo- tional orgies that Billy called at the office ‘of the South Pole Trading Company, 627 { where, he had been told, there was an opening for a good export man. This, on the whole, was the most promising lead that had turned up. . The man to see, Billy understood, was Morton Bishop, vice president. Thus, when he entered the reception room, Billy asked the extraordinarily fresh appearing office boy to take his name to Mr. Bishop. “ Whadya wanta see him about?” de- manded the youngster. Billy’s annoyance rose instantly. “ You just take in my name. I'll tell him what it’s about.” “* Nothin’ doin’—unless ya tell me what it’s about.” The youth leered impudently into Billy’s face. “You tell Mr. Bishop that Mr. Carter wants to see him!” blustered Billy, Whereupon the office boy quietly ig- nored him, thereby adding in no small measure to Billy’s anger. The latter real- ized that it was the office boy’s round—as it always is in such cases—and decided to proceed along other lines. To which end he marched indignantly out of the place and sought a telephone booth. Calling the South Pole Trading Com- pany, Billy asked to speak to Mr. Bishop. The girl operator inquired: ‘“ Who is speak- ing?” “T’ll tell him that, if you don’t mind,” Billy replied. The girl said, “‘ Just a moment,’? and after a delay another feminine voice asked: ‘* What is it, please?” “TI would like to speak to Mr. Bishop,” Billy answered, eens his annoyance with an effort. “‘ What is the name, please?” To avoid argument, the young man told her, “‘ Mr. Carter—Mr. William Carter.” “ And what did you wish to speak to him about?” “Tl explain that to him if you'll put him on the wire.” With swift rising anger, he added: “ I’m not in the habit of relaying my business through half a dozen others. Will you put Mr. Bishop on the wire or not?” He could feel the girl hesitate. Then she said: ‘Wait a moment, please.” A long interval, during which Billy CEOPMIC OOO KS (E@)