The Argosy, January 1907 — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

220 I could easily reach the niche where the sunlight streamed, and I thrust my hand within it. My fingers touched a parcel, and I brought it forth. It was a small package wrapped in brown paper. ‘Find anything?” Billy demanded. ‘Yes, I have something,” I replied doubtfully. “Then for Heaven’s sake get down, and let’s have a look at it. You're heavy.” I scrambled down obediently. Once THE THE ARGOSY. a on the ground I tore off the wrappings, while Billy looked on in anxious silence. The last bit of cover fell. In my hand lay a great sheaf of bank-notes— American money. Billy snatched the heap from my hand, very rudely, and began counting silently. As he finished, he looked up at me with a radiant smile, and said softly: “One hundred and fifty thousand dollars. It’s all here, Jack.” ‘Surely the luck /as turned,” I an- swered. END. AN EXPENSIVE BOARDER. BY C. LANGTON CLARKE, Author of “A Domestic Treasure,’ “Cousin Almira’s Baby,” ete. In which Mr. Scales seeks to be relieved of an incubus, with an outcome that was not down on the cards. s OQUSIN FRED has been here,” said Mrs. George Scales, as she met her husband in the hall on his re- turn from the office. ‘“ He was awfully sorry not to see you, but he had to catch the five-o’clock train for New York.” Mr. Scales, who was hanging up his hat, turned round sharply. “What does he want now?” he de- manded, with some asperity. “He doesn’t want anything,’ Mrs. Scales replied, with spirit. “ He came to see me, and you, too, I suppose, if you had come home to lunch, as usual. I do wish, George, you wouldn't be quite so ready to pick holes in my relations. I know Fred has been a little wild and careless, but he is doing ever so much better now. He told me he made quite a lot of money-last week.” ‘““What was the name of the horse?” Mr. Scales asked grimly. ‘What a nasty spirit you do show sometimes, George,” his wife replied. “Tt wasn’t a horse at all, or anything of that kind. Fred told me positively that he had given up racing and betting and card-playing. He hates the very sight of a card, he says, and has burned all his dope, whatever that is. He is traveling now for the Gold-something-or-other Company.” “ Bricks?” suggested Mr. Scales. ‘“ No-o,” replied Mrs. Scales simply. “TI can’t recall the name. At any rate, he is doing very well. He is getting lots of orders, and thinks of setting up in business for himself. He said perhaps you might like to go in with him.” Mr. Scales laughed sardonically. “Not for mine,” he answered. “A partnership with Master Fred Roxley would be just a trifle too strenuous. I think I’ stick to real estate. How long was he here?” “He came just before lunch,” replied Mrs. Scales, ‘‘and he left -at four o’clock.” “Four hours,’’ commented the hus- band; ‘and in all that time he didn’t ask you to do anything for him?” “Not in the way you mean, George, with your horrid suspicions,” replied the wife. ‘ He did ask me to do something, and very glad I was to be able to do it. He begged me to take charge of some- thing for him for a week or ten days. He said he couldn’t take him to New York, because the people in the hotel wouldn’t let him in.” “Him?” cried Mr. Scales. do you mean by Azm—Fred?”’ ‘““No,” replied Mrs. Scales; “ Jim.” Mr. Scales sat down suddenly. * What Gomichoo (G (S@)