The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 1 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

18 And when he had had opportunity to study the trouble at close range, there would be a cure, and a permanent one, specialists or no specialists. A newly de- veloped sixth sense informed Dr. Jim that this was the solid fact, and after the cure had been effected— This car was turning corners, too! It had switched into a street with many stores and an elevated railroad overhead, jogged along a bit, and abandoned the business thoroughfare for a darker stretch, where houses and“flats loomed up again inevitably, and rattled on and on. _ They came to a tiny park and passed it, and, reaching a new area of small business, thundered over other car-tracks and now the conductor was shouting: “ Eastern Parkway!”’ Rather abruptly it dawned on Dr. Bowen that Miss Catterson had risen and, still staring straight ahead and all unsee- ing, was coming toward him. He snorted, causing the conductor to start violently, and stepped to the street; and since there - was another of the apartments just ahead of him, he walked straight into the empty vestibule, stopped, waited, and glanced out cautiously. The girl was just turning the corner. It might be a parkway, Dr. Bowen re- flected, as he followed at a distance; it bore more resemblance to a trench dug for giant warfare. But for the sidewalks, the entire street had been opened wide, _and the misty memory of a feature article ‘in a New York Sunday paper came to suggest that they were digging a subway here. Only briefly, however, did his attention linger upon matters so remote. Miss Catterson was moving on steadily, a hun- dred feet ahead, pausing now and then as she gazed confusedly at the huge dirt- piles. It behooved him to keep one wary eye on her, of course, but for the life of him he could not resist a more careful examination of his cash-box. This was the treasure! [Even then the icy chill that was about to visit Dr. Bow- en’s very bones did not betray a sign of THE ARGOSY. its nearness. He held up his box and studied it eagerly. . There was the com- bination, fast enough! What if he were able to open it and see what mystic stuff so concerned Catterson? Although, on the first calm thought he had expended on the matter, the box did seem rather light to hold much of impor- tance. Dr. Bowen, frowning, shook. it suddenly. Nothing, so far as he could judge, moved about within. His frown turned to a scowl, and he shook the thing again—and if it were not absolutely empty its contents were so ex- tremely soft and light that they could be no more than feathers. The chill, then, crept slowly over Dr. Bowen. What if he had expended two of his three remaining dollar bills on the wrong box? He hadn’t, of course, but— what if he had? Catterson might conceivably change his mind about that five hundred dollars, might drop dead before he could pay it, might do.a dozen other unpleasant things that would leave Dr. Jim with just one | dollar and some odd change in the whole world! Despite the night breeze, little drops of perspiration shone on Dr. Bowen’s fore- head. A scared glance revealed Miss Catterson moving along as before and within easy sight; he paused under a street-lamp and twirled the dial of the combination lock—and, little as he knew about combination locks, there was some- thing in the loose readiness of this one to spin that was far from reassuring. Why, the little circle fairly rattled as it came to rest again! And here Dr. Bowen, failing to breathe, made the fatal, what should have been the most obvious, experiment. One cold hand tugged at the cover. There was a rusty scratch, and the box opened with the utmost ease. Before him, facing an interior as empty as the day the thing had left the factory, the cover. stood erect. Nor was it without a legend, although the words -scratched into the paint with EOPMICLOOKS (E@)