The Argosy, Vol. 61, No. 4 — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

JUST FOR SPITE. ‘Why don’t you come out? It’s a bully place to stay in the hot weather.” ‘Do you know of any house vacant near you? I'll rent it on the spot.” The thought of Pierce’s anxiety to rent sprang instantly to Hicks’s mind. Here was a chance to get even. He wasn’t doing it for spite, he argued to himself ; but his reply seemed rather that way: | ‘“No, I don’t know of any house near me for rent this summer. You'd better try some other suburb.” ‘But I’m quite crazy about that town of yours,’”’ answered the friend. ‘ You're sure there’s no place?”’ ‘ Absolutely. you to try to find one, I’m sure.” “You'll let me know if you hear of such a place. I’ve got my heart set on Oak Forest. Call me up if you learn of any place to rent, John; or cinch it for me.” ‘“T’ll do that,” answered Hicks lightly. As he turned away from the phone he encountered his wife close beside him. There was a worried look on her face. ‘“Oh, John, you shouldn’t have done that!’ she cried. ‘“‘ You know how bad- ly the Pierces want to rent their house.” ‘* Well, I hope they get a tenant,’ an- swered John Hicks, with an ugly grin that did not set well on him. “ But they won’t get one if I can help it.” It is ‘strange how malice will creep into the heart of an even-tempered man. CHAPTER VIII. ALL FOR REVENGE. NeExT morning the two foes met on the station platform. Richard Pierce had an indulgent smile on his face, and he 1l@ked toward Hicks without recognition several times. It was perfectly clear that he was gloating over the latest ax-handle incident and felt rather pleased with himself for hav- ing written the note to Hicks, thanking him for the new handle. Hicks, too, wore a strange smile, which Pierce could not fathom. It was merely an expression of his own satis- faction at having been the means of keep- ing Pierce from renting his house for the summer. SA It would be useless for. 641 Pierce had planned to take his family away immediately after election — the new election—the date of which had not been decided. It looked now as if he would have to leave his house untenant- ed, or else stay at home. Hicks hugged himself all morning for having taken advantage of an opportu- nity to get even with Pierce. It occurred to him several times that he had acted with rather a mean spirit; but, in the face of what Pierce had done to him, his revenge seemed no more than right to him. About noon Spooner called him up. ‘The detectives seem to be puzzled by this case,” he said. “ They keep run- ning into snags, but we'll prove yet that the citizens’ party hired somebody to tamper with the ballots.” ‘But if we can’t get any evidence?” suggested Hicks. ‘’ Well, the case will have to rest then. Your reputation is good, and so is Pierce’s. They couldn’t think of arrest- ing either of you. By the way, the date of the election was set this morning.” ‘“When’s it going to be?”’ “A week from to-day.” ~“So soon? That doesn’t give us much time, does it?” “No. But we'll get busy electioneer- ing again, and we hope to learn some- thing through the detectives that will make this election ours beyond a doubt.” “T hope we will.” “You'll be our candidate for the re- election, of course?” asked Spooner. “Oh, yes! You can bank on me. I won't draw out of the fight now. When I took up the standard of the non-parti- zan party I swore to see things through to a finish—his finish or mine—and I’ll stick to it.” “ That’s the way to talk. That gives me new confidence. You're the kind of candidate to have.” | They rang off, and Hicks fell to thinking again of his cleverness in steer- ing a sure tenant away from Pierce. As he gloated over this achievement, a friend dropped into the office to discuss Oak Forest politics. “The reelection will be a hot one,” said the newcomer. : ‘“Tt’?ll be as hot as we can make it,” rejoined Hicks. NOOO (Cc (©