Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

390 police had my name—why, I was an em- bezzler—and there was Edith and the kid- dies—who don’t know yet. I could give back the money and be saved, but—broke —TI was done for!” , “Broke!” laughed Hildreth, looking about the suite. ‘‘ You? Whew! You should see the bathtub joint. And Miss Mystery’s ring—her mother’s ring—in for seventy cents’ worth of eats!”’ Her clear laughter followed: ‘‘ Oh, well! To-morrow’s another day—and, Mr. Clem- mons—good-by and good luck!” She was turning to the door when the tall man looked up. ‘““Won’t you stay just a minute? I need —somebody. Somebody young and strong and brave—like you two—just a minute. I am dazed. I don’t ask you to explain. It’s just honest, that’s all—and it’s sending me back to California to square things my- self—just you two who came laughing to my door out of the storm.” ‘Oh, well,” said Hildreth, “ it’s been fun —just to wander—with her. And there was Milly, who wasn’t a bad sort. We sent her away with a smile! And if it hadn’t been for your darn money I’d never met Miss— Mystery, and I haven’t solved it all yet. She used to be a girl in the movies, and then things got kind of rotten.” “And your” Clemmons had arisen in slowly gathering comprehension after his stupor of the soul. ‘‘ Mr.— what’s the name?” “ Hildreth. I’m a civil and irrigation engineer—and our little firm went bump last summer — just trying to help out a friend. But I’m young yet—going to get it all straight soon!” SWEEP CLEAN! The Fifth Liberty Loan s the Broom That'll Do It ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. “ Irrigation?” The tall banker was mus- ing by his fire. ‘‘ That’s what I was trying _—to finance a little river that comes down from the Sierras to the San Joaquin. It stuck me last year bad, but I’m going back —to conquer it!” ‘“‘ That’s the stuff!” cried Miss Mystery. ‘“‘ Qh, isn’t it splendid to hear a man say that?” . ‘“Or a woman,” murmured Hildreth. ‘“ Any little girl who’s tried!” __ Clemmons smiled wanly at last. ‘“ Yes. And, say, Hildreth, come on out West and help me. It’s a little valley that hasn’t any name where the big scheme is. beautiful spot for a motion-picture, too. Oh, say—why don’t you come—you two?”’ ‘“‘ A little valley with a river?”’ muttered Hildreth, and stared at her after that silently. . ‘A little wandering river without a name,” she whispered, ‘“ waiting for the engineers and bankers to adopt it.”’ ‘Just that ’—the tall financier turned his melancholy eyes eagerly upon them— “and I want to name it now—something beautiful! To remember how I managed to—drop that gun—when this girl laughed outside my door. Mr. Hildreth, what is— her name?” — ' Hildreth laughed slowly, and then thought with a queer puzzled frown, look- ing joyously at Miss Mystery. “There it slipped my mind again—that movie name she told me! Funny, isn’t it? But it ’d make you think of your river, Mr. Clemmons, up in the Sierras—and her laughing, too. And it’s going to sing for me all my life, just like the little river that runs down to your valley from the hills.” BUY A BRACE OF BRISTLES! It ’d bea ~ COMICEDOO S CO inn