Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 18, 1928 — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

950 But the laughter died as the judge put his niece’s words into more intelligible form. For a moment, Morton was dazed. Then, his face drained of color, he looked up at the judge. “ But, your honor,” he gasped. ‘I was out here on pleasure, not on business. I’ve been hunting all this time up on the North Rim of the Grand Cafion. I didn’t even know the Southwestern Copper Company was being sued.” He turned to Bell. “Tf you’d brought your case to me, I’d have paid generous damages in an instant. That’s my way of doing business. When I injure some one’s property, I’m anxious to repay him.” He took a step nearer. “ Who turned down your claim?” Jim watched closely. The man was one of two things—an excellent actor—or truth- ful and innocent. And to Jim there was a light in Morton’s eyes, something like the light in his niece’s eyes, which made him believe the latter was the case. Without waiting for his father to answer, -he came over to Elizabeth. “Ym sorry,” he said. For a moment she looked at him with ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. hostility. Then, faintly, she smiled. “ And I’m sorry, too.” “ Here,” said Elizabeth, “Tl help you out to the car. You’ve got to get back to bed.” Accordingly, it was late afternoon before they learned of the final upshot—that the superintendent had confessed that he had been anxious to defeat Bell in the fear that other similar suits would cut into the com- pany’s earnings too much for him to make a good first year’s showing—that he had been anxious to show a large profit in the hope that it would mean promotion, for he hated Cottonwood—and that he had se- cured Brown’s aid by pointing out what such success would mean in increased div- idends to him as a prospective member of the family. Back in the hospital, Morton spoke slowly. ‘Whenever Brown shows up, I'll have him disbarred from the practice of law. I’m willing to let it go at that, unless—” Jim nodded. ‘“That’s enough. And,” he held out a diamond ring, “‘send this back to him. - Maybe he can hock it for enough to get a new start.”’ THE END U U CLOSE-UP "PT HERE is a man that I despiss, He’s fat and has small, shiny eyes, He starts across the room to holler: “ Say, Pete, ole man, lend me a dollar!” Another person I can’t stand Is Simpkins, of the clammy hand, Each Friday noon, he says to me: ‘Oh, Peter, can you spare a V?” And then there’s How But, golly! pee nice encugh, a t boy does bluff— Drives a good car and dresses nifty, He never asks for less than fifty! They must think I’m an easy mark, And pass out money for a lark— I know those birds, though you can bet I haven’t loaned them any yet! Peter A. Lea. Eomichooks (E(O)