Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 18, 1928 — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

THE PERFECT SCHEME. into his hands. Even if Clare could not see what she would be up against very shortly, he could. He knew that two weeks more would find the girl penniless, burdened with an expense which she could not possibly meet. He foresaw that she would be forced to choose between borrowing and charity. And, knowing what her choice would be, he meant to have sufficient cash available to tide her over the worst of it. He would make her take the money, that was all! And now— To Harvey he said: “‘ It’s a rotten break. Any idea what you’re going to do?” Harvey laughed. “Same as the rest, I suppose; get another job.” “It’s a bad time to land anything, just before the holidays,” Merle told him. “ You’re damn right it is. I don’t know as I’ll try until after the first of the year. I’ve got a little saved up. How are you fixed?” “ Oh, I’ve got a few dollars salted away but not enough to wait long for a new job.” A new fear smote Harvey at this stage. Now that he was no longer employed in the same office as Merle, he could not watch the mail. Suppose a letter came from Edinburgh and was forwarded to Merle at his home ad- dress! Harvey swallowed dryly at the thought. It seemed to him a case for prayer. He did not want to lose track of Merle just yet although he saw the advantage of what had come about, when his pending swindle had been accomplished. Now he said: ‘‘ Suppose we kind of work together on this job business. Meet somewhere ev- ery day. I may hear of something that would interest you and the reverse might happen. We might avoid going to places where there is nothing doing, that way. What do you say?” ‘All right,” Merle agreed. “If one of us had been on a wild goose chase he could at least tip the other off. Sure. Where shall we meet?” “ How about that little grill in Chambers Street? It’s handy to the section where most of the best prospects are.” 845 “Good enough. Make it to-morrow noon, then. I’m going to beat it now.” “So long,” Harvey said, gazing ruefully after Merle as the latter headed for the cashier’s cage and the one hundred and twelve dollars and fifty cents which was coming to him. Then it was that an office boy hurried to Sykes with: “‘ Telephone, Mr. Sykes.” Dost was on the wire. “Can you get away long enough to run over here?” he asked. Harvey laughed. fired this morning.” “ Fired!” There was alarm in Dost’s voice. “‘ What’s wrong?” “Nothing, really. I'll tell you all about it. Be right over.” “Well, make it snappy.” Dost hung up. “T'll say I can. Got xX. It was with a vague sense of misgiving that Harvey Sykes made his way to the lawyer’s office. Naturally, Dost had said nothing over the wire which would shed any light on the new development, whatever it might be. But there had been in his voice a quality which led Harvey to believe that their plans had encountered something in the nature of asnag. And he was out of breath from his haste when he finally sank into a seat be- side the attorney’s desk. ‘““ What’s up now?” he demanded, scan- ning the other’s face for an inkling of what was to come, Dost smiled contemptuously. ‘ All ‘ het up,’ aren’t you? You look as if you were about to be stood up against a wall and shot.” “Well, what’s wrong?” “There you go again. Because I ask you to come over here does it follow that some- thing is wrong. Be reasonable, man. Use your bean. Nothing is wrong. We are just about to pass into another stage of our very nifty program. But before I go on, tell me how you happened to be canned.” Harvey explained in a few words. Dost nodded and said: “Wm not altogether sorry.” : Gomichooks (E@)