The Argosy, September 1915 — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

302 purpose in her heart and a whirl of desperate ideas in her brain. She was looking for Sam! CHAPTER XVI. ROUGH STUFF, = YOURE quite sure it belongs to you?” asked Sam, his scrutiny of Rosalind’s face pointed to the verge of annoyance. ‘“T have said so,” she answered with finality. A fifteen-minute conversation had preceded. 7 “Tt’s not the kind of a job I'd pick of my own choosing,” he remarked re- flectively. “T tell you, it must be done!” “Why not give me a handful of money and let me go in to-morrow and buy it?” “No! It’s mine!” ‘Why not claim it, then?” “T cannot. [—” He waited patiently for the remain- der of the sentence. “Oh, what is the use of explain- ing?” she exclaimed irritably. ‘‘ The point is, it belongs to me. I must have it. I wl] have it! Why should you haggle over a question as to the real owner—after what you have done?” “ Which is to say—’’ “ Come,” said Rosalind. ‘ You and I have no need to beat about the bush in this matter. You are perfectly well aware that I know what you are. [’m not blind, or even dense.” “No, ma’am,” he enough. “The point is, you know how to do it.” “T suppose that’s a compliment.” “Judge it as you please. It may be a compliment or a reproach. I’m not talking about the ethics of the mat- ter, I’m talking about results.”’ ‘“‘ Well, what is there in it for me?” he demanded bluntly. “Tl pay you!” “ How much?” said meekly THE ARGOSY. “'Why—almost anything you ask.” ‘You don’t drive a very sharp bar-” gain, ma’am,” he commented. “IT am not accustomed to dealing with—” “Thieves?” Rosalind nodded. “Well, it might be done,” he ad- mitted slowly. “ But it has risks. And it can’t be done alone.” “It will be necessary for you to have help?” ‘Yes! that’s certain. in fact.” Rosalind evinced no hesitation. She was thinking only of her bracelet, in the winning of which she was willing to burn all bridges. “ Very well; what do you want mnie to do?” The boatman eyed her curiously. “It depends,’ he answered, ‘on just what we figure to do. Of course, we could crack the case and make a run for it. But that’s too simple to get away with. -No chance. “We could get a crowd into the lob- by perhaps, and then try it. That’s a little better. Or we might be able to manage to get everybody out of the lobby, even the clerks, and make a stab at it that way. I’m not very strong for that, either.” “Couldn’t you wait until the hotel was closed?” asked Rosalind. It did not occur to her for an in- stant that she was plotting against the criminal law. He shook his head, after appearing to consider the suggestion. “There’s always a bell-hop on duty,” he said. ‘I don’t see how it could be done, unless we both hang around until after the crowd is gone. And I suppose you’ve got to go home with your people.” ‘“ 'That’s true,” she admitted. “No,” said the boatman. “If it’s going to be done at all it must be pulled off while the crowd is still here. That’s a cinch. I may be willing to take a chance after hours somewhere else, but Pil need you, ~ not here. It seems to me if we’re going ECORMICLOOKS (C@)