Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 7, 1928 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

4 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Then one day the question came up as to just how the finances of the thing were to be handled. Molly triumph- antly presented a plan which had been worked out for her by one of the lead- ing lawyers of the State, and which obviated any possibility of graft. The commissioners raised no open objection, but immediately thereafter the undertaking began to encounter in- terruptions and checks of various sorts. Some unknown but powerful influence was apparently. chucking a series of monkey wrenches into the machinery. “Jes’ showin’ you what they can do,” explained Big Bill Davis cynical- ly. “ Servin’ notice, you might call it, an’ it means: No sugar, no irrigation.” Yet the three officials seemed so hon- estly puzzled and perturbed over the obstructive manifestations that Molly was still loath to believe them respon- sible. Finally the time approached when the matter would have to be submitted to the voters on the question of a bond issue; and when she asked as to the probable outcome, Mr. Fenton, the un- dertaker, shook his head in his most gloomy, professional manner. “‘T can’t understand it, Miss Todd,” he murmured sympathetically. “TI simply can’t understand it. Every- body seemed so favorable to the idee at the start; and now— Well, we can only hope for the best. But I am afraid, Miss Todd, I am very much afraid, that unless steps of some kind is took, we air beat.”’ “What kind of steps?” inquired Molly. “Well, I couldn’t exactly say as to that. Mebbe you’d better consult Mr. Creel. He might suggest somep’n.” Mr. Creel, the garage proprietor, proved equally pessimistic, but more direct. - * Ain’t no question but what some- body’s throwin’ sand into the gears, and I ’low I can make a pretty close guess on who’s doing it.’’ He cocked his eyes significantly. “ Opposition comes mostly from the northern end of the county, don’t it? And we all know who runs things up there.” “Mr. Thornley, you mean?” Molly frowned. The garage man nodded. “He’s been saying right from the start that he didn’t see why folks up that way should pay for something that chiefly benefits us down here. And that’s the argument that’s going to beat us, Miss Todd. People are beginning to think that this is nothing but a scheme to help out the Todd estate at their expense. “Tell you, though,” he hesitated, dropping his voice, “‘ Thornley, like the rest of us, ain’t none too well fixed, and as I happen to know is pretty deep in debt. So, mebbe, if the proposition was so framed that he could see some- thing in it for himself— “’Course, I don’t hold with nothing like that myself,” he broke off hastily. “ And neither does Fenton.” Evident- ly Thornley had been cast for the réle of the wicked partner. “ But you see how it is. Unless we can manage to swing him over the proposition is ditched.” “* Just so,”’ said Molly quietly. “ And —er—how much do you think it would require to change Mr. Thornley’s views?” A glint of greed came into the ga- rage man’s face. “Something substantial,’ he de- clared. ‘“ Something quite substantial, I should say. You see, he wouldn’t get it all hisself. There’d be—there’d be others to divide with.” “TI see,” returned Molly, still in that quiet tone. “And please tell Mr. Thornley—and the others—that they can go ahead and crack their whips; for they won’t get one red cent.” Then she went down to El Paso to consult her bankers. On her return she announced that the irrigation sys- tem would be paid for, not by bonds against the entire community, but merely against the property to be di- Gomichbooks (E@)