The Argosy, Vol. 81, No. 4 — page 183: what you’re looking at

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

THE MAN THEY COULDN’T HELP. be going to the K. O.’s house at this time of night unless he had been sent for.”’ “Poor devil!” exclaimed the major, and sighed profoundly. Il. On the following afternoon Lieutenant Fosdick left the fort and walked in the direction of the town. He was dressed, as was the custom for officers going outside the reservation, in civilian clothes, and he carried a suit-case. He took the street-car to the town, and on arriving there tele- phoned to a summer resort near the fort, calling for Mr. Synka. “T am here at the hotel in town, Synka,”’ he said tersely. “I have something to show you. Ill wait for you in a private room if you'll come here right away.” Synka seemed to consider for a moment. “T think, my friend, that it is better that you should come here to me,”’ he answered, without his habitual display of formality. “Tere it is very quiet. We shall smoke and talk very comfortably, if you will be so kind.” “Tt’s all the same to me, if that suits you better,” said Fosdick. : Ten minutes later, after attending to some other necessary business in his official capacity, he took a taxicab and drove to the summer hotel by a road that did not pass the fort. He announced himself to the clerk merely as a man to see Mr. Synka, and was told to go at once to Synka’s room, as he was expected. “Ah, my dear friend!” exclaimed. the little man, as he opened the door and cast a beaming eye upon the suit-case. Fosdick stepped in and closed the door. “We are not friends,: Synka,” he said sharply, with grim bitterness, ‘and I'll thank you to leave everything but business out of our talk. I have brought you—what you want. Now, do your damnable part of the trick!” Synka smiled at him genially, evidently amused at his ill humor rather than re- sentful. He stooped quickly and undid the fastenings of the suit-case. With eager, quivering fingers he unrolled a dozen sheets of tracings and mechanical diagrams, and chuckled audibly. “Tt’s very warm here,” grumbled Fos- dick, fidgeting nervously. “I feel positively il. If you don’t mind I'll lay off my coat.” “By all means!” returned Synka cordial- ly. ‘‘Let me take your coat.” 749 “Tt will do very well here,” said Fosdick, and placed his tweed coat across the win- dow seat, pausing to take a deep breath of the mild sea air that gently fanned the cur- tains. ‘Suppose you fulfil your part of the con- tract before you examine the things so minutely!”’ he exclaimed a moment later, with a return to his brusk manner. “By all means, my dear sir,” agreed Synka readily. He got up from his inspection of the tracings, went to a trunk, and took out a small satchel, the opening of which dis- closed several orderly packets of paper money. “Wait a moment,” ordered Fosdick. ‘I can still withdraw from the bargain, you know, and take back my plans. I have one or two conditions to make. I have sold my- self to you, Synka; now, what are you go- ing to do with me? If I am not betrayed or discovered, my conscience will not per- mit me to remain in the service. I may re- sign and explain that I am going into pri- vate engineering work, but I have to secure myself with regard to my future. No mat- ter what price you are paying me, I am doing a great thing for you, Synka: the amount you are paying is evidence enough of the fact. I have no doubt that it means honor and distinction for you. I have sold myself to you and your employers, and now you must have further work for me.” Synka stood back and looked at him thoughtfully. “You are a more sensible young man than I thought you at first,” he said softly, with a glint of cunning in his eyes. ‘Yes, I can give you more work to do; and if you are straightforward and honest with me, my friend, I can promise you great profit, great honor—possibly actual dis- tinction in time,” Fosdick stepped closer to him. “Am I right in thinking that I have performed a service for the secret intelligence depart- ment of the government of—” He paused, then spoke the name of a great European power, in a low whisper. Synka laughed softly and shook his head. “You sometimes do not guess right, my friend,” he chuckled. “But I will show you how much confidence I have in you. I will do you the honor to tell you that you have rendered valuable service to the govern- ment of—” He paused, as Fosdick had done, then MG S (EO) .TOO (C@)