Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

at MISS MYSTERY. “ Habitual. All right—we pulled it. I’m just asking you, miss, as long as the money's missing, to keep it missing. If your friend pipes the thing off to the police, Jimmy the Rat will squeal on us. You see Eddie was recognized at the hotel before he could do anything—he had to give the stuff to this damned stool-pigeon to get to. “me—outside of the hotel, you understand. And the Rat thought it was only a few hundreds we'd lifted; and when he saw on that street-car that Chief Hennessy’s men were just waiting to pick him up at either end of the car he just canned the wallet. ‘“‘I was there—back in the crowd, and couldn’t do a thing. Your friend picked it up, and I was relieved. If the Rat had been taken with it on him, he’d have squealed that it was Eddie’s job, and we’d have had the goods on us. I’m tellin’ you all this, miss, just for God’s sake, to save my kid! They ain’t got anything on him now, at all, but if this job comes out—well, it’s life for Eddie—and the river for me. Honest, miss —you see! I’m m love with my pal—that’s all. I ain’t goin’ to stick in if he goes up, dom) it all.” | “Qh,” breathed Miss Travers wearily, “I don’t understand. You stole this wallet from Somebedy? Well, hasn’t he com- plained yet?” The girl’s black eyes flashed, narrowed mysteriously. “No. That’s what gets me. Nota word. Eddie frisked him in the barroom of the Plantagenet after gettin’ wise to what he had. We knew it was worth goin’ for, but how much we never had time to see. It was snap-work—and Eddie just had time to slide it on to the Rat. Then the plain- clothes men took my kid. I knew when the , Rat made his getaway there was trouble. I followed and got on the same car, and then the Rat got rid of the stuff.” “But the money?” said Aileen sharply. “ And the man who was robbed—didn’t he make an outcry?” “No. Not yet, anyhow. That’s what knocks my block off. And that’s what saves us, too. Them house-detectives and the office men just took Eddie out of the Plantagenet because one of them suddenly recognized him—not for liftin’ this swag. oot See? We don’t want this deal to come out. Throw it in the river, for God’s sake, or go give it back to the guy that lost it—any- thing, so’s this last job ain’t put on my kid! ) ‘You are telling me a lot, aren’t you?’ “Yes. ‘But you—-somehow—looked like the last bet. I know you two got the money. Did you happen to lamp it over? How much?” ‘“‘ Thirty thousand dollars.” The other girl fell back staring, speech- less. ‘* You—no! I thought maybe it was a couple. This lamb just made a foolish flash talking with Eddie in the café! Thirty thousand!—what a chance! He must be crazy! Why don’t he squeal if he lost that much?” “You know who he is?” ‘Yes. Eddie studied him all day yester- day and to-day, trying to set up — lay. He’s a California man—a banker, I think Clemmons—H. G. Clemmons—Room 422, the Plantagenet. Oh, he must be asleep, doped, or crazy! We got a man at the hotel now tryin’ to fix this thing, and he swears Clemmons ain’t said a word—just ain’t missed it, I guess.”’ ‘*‘ Clemmons—” murmured Aileen—“ H. G. Clemmons. Well, I’m glad I know. There comes Mr. Hil—my friend. Maybe . you better go now.” ‘““T want to know,” muttered the other, staring at Hildreth. ‘ It’s a showdown for me. Been tryin’ to straighten my kid up. Oh, yes—believe me, I want to quit this— just almost got Eddie to stop framin’ ’em. He swore he would, after this job — and now, if he’s convicted—it’s life.” Hildreth had come up and heard the last words. He looked quickly from one girl to the other standing there in the sleet storm. Miss Travers erect, firm, and watchful; . Eddie’s pal trembling now, seeming on the verge of hysteria. She was trying to enunciate some savage outburst or appeal, when Miss Travers spoke quietly—and suddenly she couldn’t remember Hildreth’s last name. ‘Lionel! Here, this is Milly. And quite upset — really! Now, what happened in- side?” > (C(O) NOO S (C(O) mM