The Argosy, Vol. 61, No. 4 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

HIS TEMPTATION. 657 nose. The eyes of the young man popped “Well, it’s lucky that some people open with amazement, for the bill was have as much as a thousand in cash,” for a thousand dollars! Dexter murmured as he went back through the cars, collecting the tickets CHAPTER II. THE QUEEREST CASE ON RECORD. “Anp he had a bunch of it, big enough—’”’ Dexter murmured these words without really knowing what he said. Connors interrupted him with a laugh. ‘He must have had,” he said, “if he could hand one like that out so easy. Tell him to {come again’—to dig up something smaller.” “Tt can’t be good!” exclaimed the - flagman, with sudden decision. Connors had been examining the thou- sand - dollar note ero every point of view. “ Tf—it—ain’ geal ll eat it!” he grunted. “I never saw a good bank- note, then. No, no, Deck—the man’s made a mistake. Was he sober?” “He was. But he came near missing the train, and he must have done this in his confusion, of course. No man would hand out such a note—’’ ‘Where did he say he was going?”’ demanded Connors hastily. ‘ Hambleton.” “Then there’s time enough. I’ll show the bill to Dwyer. Me knows something about currency. I'll be back in a min- ute. If it should be a _ counterfeit flashed on us, we ought to do something about it.” The conductor hurried forward, and soon after the train started again he re- appeared. The express messenger, Bill Dwyer, said the note was good; and the baggage-master, Tim Sullivan, agreed. “You take it back to the man, Deck,”’ said the conductor. ‘‘ Like enough he’s found out what he’s done by this time, and he’ll be cutting up didoes. Who wouldn’t—with a thousand-dollar bill on the loose? ”’ Dexter tucked the note deep down in his trousers-pocket, and he was a little pale. That was a big note to have the care of. A thousand dollars — the very . sum he had been thinking of since read- ing Marjorie Alger’s letter. Was there ever such a queer coincidence? 6A : of those passengers who had° boarded the train at the last station. He came to the rear coach. There was the fleshy man in the forward seat where he had left him. “IT reckon he wouldn’t be likely to run away,” thought the young man grimly. Yet there was a change in the fat man, and Dexter noticed it almost at once. He was quite pale, his head rested weak- ly on the back of the seat, and his eyes were closed. His scant light hair was plastered to the back and sides of his head, evidently having been wet; there was water splashed on-the floor, and some sprinkled on the man’s clothing. The ice-water tank was directly in front of him, and it looked as though the pas- senger had thrown some of the fluid over his head and face. The man’s little eyes opened languidly when Dexter entered the car, and the door banged. Those eyes were not sharp and suspicious now; there seemed to be a film over them, and he scarcely ap- peared to realize who Dexter was when the young man stopped before him. There were no other passengers very close to the fat man. There had been when the train started from Selsburg, but his near neighbors had left the car at the first stop. The little eyes stared up at Dexter wonderingly at first, and then the man began to fumble in his pockets as he had before. “Conductor,” he muttered in an im- personally questioning way, “didn’t I give ticket? Must have give ticket—” He spoke thickly — exactly like one who has imbibed more stimulant than is wise. Dexter was pugzled. “ You gave me a bill to change,” said the flagman, drawing the bank-note slow- ly from his pocket. The eyes grew sharper, and the man stopped mumbling. His mouth was a tight, suspicious line again, and he wait- ed for the railroad man to proceed. - “Here it is,’ said the latter. “I didn’t notice its denomination when you handed it to me. We can’t change that. Ghboo (©