The Argosy, October 1906 — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

ya! yh at a by tN Ne et AM We > a “Worse than that,” I replied. His face was a puzzle. ered experience, police persecution and - lack of money seemed the only two ills of any real importance 2 could befall a man, Briefly, and as ap as I could, I re- hearsed to him the whole story of the scarab affair, from my purchase of the wretched bauble up to Ferata’s arrival on the scene. : He heard me through without a word of interruption—a rare event with Billy. His chief reason for silence apparently was that amazement had struck him speechless. Nor, for a full minute after I finished, did he find his voice. | : ‘““Pete!’’ he gasped at last (for to my unutterable disgust he had learned the Anglicization of my Chris- tian name, Pierre, and used it on all oc- casions). “ Pete, you ain’t me? 2’ _" It’s all true. a story if I tried.” “That’s right. You couldn't. I'll be double-crossed !” “That’s what I don’t want to be. And I want your help.” “Where do 7 come in? rough-house the dago?”’ ‘No. If it comes to rough-housing, I can take care of myself. I want you to sit still and listen to something Sebaste will tell you. That’s all.” Gregg grunted his complete disgust at the role. ‘““T'll look sweet, won’t I, posin’ as ht- tle Willie listenin’ to a John D. Sunday- I couldn’t invent such Well, Want me to school spiel,” he objected. “It’s too easy, son.” “Not as easy as it looks. — Be- sides = E : ™ “Say,” he broke in, with a fresh _ grievance, “ what’d you keep all this dog-fight> to yourself for these two weeks? Why was I left standin’ around. in pict’resque attitoods of ign’rance like a corn-fed dodo bird? Eh? Why couldn’t you be a sport an’ put me wise?” “Tm sorry, old man,” I rejoined. haven't treated you right and that’s a et To his check- recently* -stringin’ - that you oe turned on the secret- 28: = -what’ll I do to help you?” “Just what I said. Sit still and listen = to Sebaste. I’m going to send for him. He'll give you a line of talk. You are not to interrupt, to look glum or sur- prised, or make any comment. If any words are necessary, take your cue from me. And—one thing more—when he gets to a certain point Ill drop my cigarette-case. When I do, you’re to say to him: ‘What have Murena and his men to do with all this?’ Can you re- — member ? ”’ ‘““I can remember the hang of it, any- how. But it don’t make sense to me. -What’s it mean?” — “Tf I explain everything in advance, you'd only get mixed. I’m going to ring for a bell-boy. Now, for heaven’s sake, don't forget you’re not to break in or change a muscle of your face no ‘matter — what he may say. Can I trust you? I warn you beforehand it may not be easy.” — “Don’t you worry about me, Pete. I'll hand him a look as solemn as a ‘Here lies’ tablet in Greenwood. An’ I'll spring that Murena gag at the drop of the box.” A. servant knocked. card: May I trouble you to come to my = rooms at once? . “ Here,” I said, giving the boy the card and a tip. ‘“ Take that message to Count Sebaste. You will find him on the east balcony.” Within. two minutes the count was bowing on the threshold. “T regret,” I said, in Italian,” to call you away from the duke, but = ‘No apology is needed,” he smiled. “The duke seemed extremely well enter- tained. Already the ‘“T have sent for you,” I went on, “to tell you eur campaign is at last afoot.” His face lighted up. Then he glanced askance at Billy Gregg. But re- membering that the latter’s knowledge of Italian was limited to barely ay words, his brow cleared. = Billy, meantime, was sitting up very straight, his eyes fixed on the opposite = I scrawled on a = fact. But wall, his face set and expressionless. “ile => =Ss “Oh, that’s all O.K.,” he interrupted, looked like a Pompton farmer eat his — = molliied at once by my penitence. “Cut first photograph taken. ———— = =: out the ‘ forgive-me-Harold’ talk. Now “You have perhaps wondered,” = eo | . | = een