Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

388 “ Blessed if I know! Don’t know enough about police affairs. I tried to tell ’em I was a reporter, and then I did meet a real one, doing police. .And I confided to him I just wanted to see the two men they arrested at the Plantagenet to-day for a rob- bery. And what do yqu think—what thun- dering mystery is this? This newspaper chap looked it up at the office, and he said the two men had been released an hour ago, with a warning to get out of town. The police didn’t have a blamed thing on ’em— well as they knew ’em!”’ “God!” whispered the girl of Eddie the Dip. ‘Oh, my God! Let’s go!” Hildreth was staring bewilderedly at her. ‘“¢ Now, what?” Miss Travers suddenly clapped her little gloved hands. “ Oh—nothing! You better go, Milly! Get your kid square, if you can —and keep him square!”’ “Oh, Miss—Miss Mystery —that’s who you are! I don’t care for nothin’ now! Not even a split on that thirty thousand! Oh, nothin’—just to slide away and scold my kid again, and try and try! Oh, Gawd —thank you!” — And she vanished in the dirty sleet of the Chicago night. Hildreth stood still staring after her. “Milly? Well, this is funny! Was there a robbery, after all? Everybody denies it at the station—the crooks, the hotel people, the detectives, the newspapermen — and yet— Aijleen! Aileen Travers! Look in that: crazy wallet again and see if you and I haven’t been dreaming! Nobody knows anything about the thirty thousand that you and I counted over in that miserable quick-lunch place—and soaked your ring to pay for the eats! -Nobody. Say aren’t yeur feet wet? And I’m hungry again! Let’s go see if any person in this city could be induced to take one of those thousand- dollar bills! Ill bet they wouldn’t!”’ ““There’s one man would—Lionel!” she laughed. ‘One I know of.” 6¢ Who?’”’ ‘“H. G. Clemmons, Room 422, the Hotel Plantagenet. Well, hold on, now. If Milly is right, why, maybe Ae wouldn’t! Would you believe that two wet vagabonds like you and I, Mr.—Mr. Lionel, could tramp ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. about in a storm all night long trying to get somebody to accept thirty thousand dollars in hard cash?’’ “Don’t be silly! Who’s Clemmons?” And on the way back to the hotel she told him all she knew. Hildreth shook the sleet from his top- coat ifi’the lobby of the Plantagenet at midnight, with a confident air. He squared his broad shoulders, gave instructions to the room clerk, and then beckoned to his com- panion. “ Tired, little girl? You must be—dread- fully. I’m beat out myself, and you’ve had a worse day.” “Why, I’m not tired—now. And, any- how, we ought to be through with this in twenty minutes, and then—”’ “Go eat?” Hildreth fingered in his pockets gloomily. ‘‘ Maybe we can go dine again on that ring at the bathtub place. Oh, yes—clerk? —did you get Room 422—” ‘* Mr. Clemmons is in, sir. Sick, I think. Wants to know who you are.” ‘Tell him—” Hildreth stopped. “ Tell him a—lady—Miss Mystery—and a gen- tleman—Mr.—Dub.” He laughed excited- ly. “ Oh, Just tell Hun —=j7senas— Wa the best news in the world!” The hotel person looked them over sharp- ly as he telephoned to the room. They didn’t look so bad—except rather wet, a young man and a young woman with drawn, tired faces, but both eager with life. “All right, he says—Mr. Boy—to the main elevator with the lady and gentleman!” Three minutes more and Hildreth rang at a room door down a long, soft-carpeted hallway. So warm it seemed, so beauti- fully luxurious—after the corned-beef hash at the porcelain palace. Aileen was touch- ing his arm when the door opened; she had just whispered: “You better take it—you. things so wonderfully well.” “No, you. You tell him—he must be a bonanza king, who never misses such a rot- ten little roll as thirty thousand. Probably will think we’re pikers for even bothering him with such a trifle.” She was laughing tremulously. And then, You do Clemmons. . CELDOO© = O) (C(O) S Co mM