The Argosy, Vol. 82 No. 2 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

274 coop,” the constable directed. -‘‘I dunno whether you knew it or not, but you parked your car right alongside the calaboose!”’ Their shadows dancing crazily, they stumbled onward, and as the little building appeared in the full light, its true nature was but too apparent. Squat and square, the structure was of gray stone, with a steel door and two barred windows on the visible side. Light under one arm, pistol in hand, Thornton Hill produced a mighty key and opened the door. He motioned them in- ward and they tramped on; and as an elec- tric light was switched on, their dazed eyes took in a cold and forbidding interior. Six cells, evidently, were ample for Bates- ford—back to back, three on one side and three on the other. ‘Tremendous bars at the front of each, studded steel walls at the sides and back, gave an impression of utter invulnerability that turned Mr. F arnham’s S heart to throbbing ice. And now, humming with affected uncon- cern, the constable took down keys from a hook in the corner. and jingled his way to the nearest cell. One rattle and the door swung open. “That’s yourn!” the constable said briefly to Wilbur Farnham. That gentleman’s teeth gritted audibly. His eyes flamed suddenly and Mr. Hill cocked his gun with a startled: “Don’t you try none o’ that on me! You raise a hand an’ I’ll shoot sure as—”’ “Oh, Wilbur! Wilbur! Don’t!” screamed. “All right, I—I will not!” Mr. Farn- ham mumbled, as he stepped through the barred doors. “Clang!”’ said the door. “Pll put you right next door, miss!” an- nounced the constable. “Clang!” said the second door. “And i guess I won’t waste no electric light on you, neither,” concluded Thornton Jane Hill, as he hung up his cell keys and snapped off the lights. “Good night!” CHAPTER XX. IN DURANCE VILE. "THROUGH the steely, stony gloom Wilbur Farnham’s voice rang suddenly: “Wait a minute!” “What d’ye want?” Thornton Hill in- quired, from near the doorway. THE ARGOSY. “Just to ask one favor!” the male pris- oner pursued feverishly. ‘You look like a good, sensible fellow, constable. You’ve gone wild on this thing, but I can see it from your standpoint and I don’t blame you a particle for what you’re doing and I bear no hard feelings whatever—you under- stand that?” ‘“T hear you say it,” the constable’s voice stated. “In fact, I’m bound to admit that you’re the cleverest thing in constables this town is ever likely to get, but you’re a good square fellow as well, and you will not re- fuse one a little favor. Turn on that light a minute and give me a pencil. I want to write a telegram to a friend in New York and ask you to send it off at once, “collect!” “T couldn’t do that!” said Thornton Hill. “Why not?” “No, siree! I wouldn’t take that respon- sibility, young feller. It might be all right and then again it might not, but it ain’t for me to say. Things like that have to be decided by Lem Codd. You gotter wait till morning.” A thin groan came from Mr. Farnham’s cell. ‘““‘Con—constable!” he called gently. “Have you a really fine watch?” “What?” “T mean, a dandy, you know—solid gold, dead-beat movement, and so on.” “T got a watch that does me well enough!” the constable said suspiciously. ‘Well, you haven’t one as good as mine,” the captive said eagerly, “‘and I’m going to make you a present of it, if you’ll just send that one telegram for us. It’s worth two hundred dollars and it’s almost new. Even more, nobody in the world need ever know that you accepted it. Ill never say a word —if you'll only just shake up the telegraph operator and get that message off inside of an hour.” Half a minute, one entire minute, they waited breathlessly. ‘““Nope!”’ the constable said at last. ‘“I’d like to oblige, but I couldn’t do it. You’ll have to wait and see Lem about it when you're arraigned in the morning.” He moved toward the door again and they heard the creak of the hinge as he drew it open. “Wilbur!” ian cried softly. ‘I have two rings, you know. They’re not so very valuable, but one of them must have three hundred dollars’ worth of diamonds in it. CORmMICLOokKks (C@