The Argosy, December 1905 — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

124 Duncan shrugged his shoulders impa- tiently. “You seem skeptical yet, Morley ? ” “T must confess that I am.” “ Would you feel any greater convic- tion at the news that Mr. Chambers was kind enough to send me a dynamite bomb last night—also on the theory that it wouldn’t be discovered ? ” “A what? Why, Henry, I—I “That staggers you, does it?” said Duncan dryly. “It is the truth, and: I am happily able to bring a witness to prove it—always providing that Cham- bers hasn’t made away with him by this time. The maker of the little engine happened to have a conscience; there- fore I am here! If his conscience had lagged two or three minutes, you’d prob- ably be standing in the crowd about this time and viewing the ruins of at least part of the Exmoor!” Morley was shaking his head du- biously. “Tt doesn’t seem possible—I’ll swear that it doesn’t seem possible! But if it 18 33 “Well?” “Why, man, youre in bodily dan- er! »3 Ke Pm painfully aware of that, Mor- ley. ““ And if he should succeed next time, and—er fe “ Carry me into a better world,” Doce can completed bitterly, “ think what it would mean to the International! ” “Yes,” said the secretary excitedly, “if you were killed it might only be a step to the time when your uncle’s death would finally come out, and then—good gracious! ” Duncan was silent. “You'll have to be careful, Henry! (m glad that Barrington got you a body-guard! Lord, if you should be in- jured now % “Say killed!” muttered Duncan. “That is what you mean! ” “Killed, then. If you should be killed, and Fraim’s death discovered, too, and all his interests put into the hands of old Grosvenor, his executor, who’s as weak as water and would be simply putty in Chambers’ hands— ereat Cesar!” He stopped for a mo- THE ARGOSY. ment. “You'll keep a sharp”eye out, Henry, won’t you? ” Duncan walked on for half a block without replying, Morley keeping close to his side and glancing about nervously. . Ahead one of the body-guard was keeping close, and not twenty feet be- hind the second man sauntered along unconcernedly, one eye upon Duncan and the other on the neighborhood. “Morley!” said Duncan suddenly. “Yes, Henry?” “Did it ever occur to you how devil- ish pleasant it must be for me?” ** Er—what? ” “This thing of being the tail that wags the International.” “Well, you “The mere fact of my being sent to eternity in small pieces wouldn’t affect any of you greatly,” pursued the ex- architect sourly. “ You’d be reason- ably sorry _for a day or two, of course, and I presume you'd send along a select assortment of flowers and so on if there was anything left to bury! But the idea of my being removed from the sphere of the International—bah! ” “Henry, you understand “JT understand that I am sick and tired of the whole business, from one end to the other! Im tired of being the Atlas for the whole cursed company and, presumably, for the better part of the ‘world, if the part entails the neces- sity of becoming a target for any such character as Chambers! ” ce ii” “And if things don’t quiet down in the very near future, ’m going to dis- appear +” “ Henry!” Morley’s voice was a posi- tive wail of horror. “Think, my boy! Think what you're saying, Henry! Don’t be insane! Don’t undertake any new rashness now and ruin us all! We all thought that you had lost your wild- ness and appreciated the situation! Why, Barrington was saying only a day or two ago that since you have been back, you’ve looked and acted like a 23 : detent man!” “Which is very pleasant and nice of him,” said Duncan tartly. “But it doesn’t alter my aversion to being slaughtered! ” CONMUC NOOK (C@