Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

JERRY THE SPIRITED. “She insists on going back to work,” Jerry said. ‘And youw’re going to let her?” “T can’t help myself, Jim. I’m tied up. » There’s some things I don’t understand. I’ve just got to wait.” ‘Well, when you get her back on her job, you call up Billy Bartholomew and Jack Curry. Tell them to come to the sta- tion. Don’t leave that girl alone there a minute. This here Swede is going to be a wild and furious man when he gets the little dose that’s waiting for him here. When he throws caution to the four winds, as they say, you want to look out for him, because he ‘will be runnin’ amuck.” “Tl do it,’ Jerry said. “I planned something like that, but I didn’t know just who to call.” ‘““Them two will be there all dolled up with light artillery and filled with nerve and fight. You better get the girl out of here.”’ Jerry led Mamie from the other room, interposing his body between her and her captors. “We've got quite a little walk ahead of us, Mamie,” Jerry said. ‘““And we must burry, Jerry. I must get back to the station.’ They gained the tracks, and Mamie clung to Jerry’s arm. The ice and rain storms had passed, and the heavens were full of brilliant stars now. underfoot, and they had to walk carefully. They had been alone so little lately and their talks when they did meet had been so fruitless that they walked in silence. After a while the block-light at the station came into view. Mamie stopped and faced Jerry. She did not- speak, but she put her arms around his neck and drew down his head. Their lips met. “T love you!” the girl siiered: ‘“T know it,” Jerry said, as solemn as a preacher, ‘‘ and I hope to God you'll be »? my wife before long. He took her face between his hands and kissed: her forehead, and they went on ‘again. At the station the girl clung to him for a moment. “ Don’t be afraid,” Jerry said. that no harm comes to you.”’ ‘* T’ll see But it was slippery - 297 “You're not going to stay and watch me, are you, Jerry?” she asked. ‘“ You mustn’t.”’ “I won’t stay and watch you,” Jerry said. “I’m going right now.” So that she could not question him .fur- ther, he hurried away along the platform. At the end of it, he turned. Mamie was standing in the light from the bow-window, watching him. He waved his hand to‘ her and hastened along the track. The telephone exchange was only a block away and when he was out of Mamie’s sight he broke into a run and did not stop till he was in the exchange. He got two sleepy men on the telephone, but they came brightly awake as he ex- plained to them what he wanted. They said they would be at the station in a few minutes. Jerry went back to the station and kept in the shadows till they camee He-had to smile at the eagerness with which Bar- tholomew and Curry greeted him. “Think there'll be trouble, ol hoss?”’ Curry asked. Jerry explained briefly what had already happened. ‘It might happen again,” he said. “Jf it only would,” Curry said. Jerry did not know the two men very well, but he accepted them on Dayton’s recommendation. Jerry was aware that they were running as extra brakemen on the road. They had come out of the West a few months previously. He fixed his solemn eyes on them now as he prepared to leave them. ‘“ Boys,” he said gravely, girl down there at the station. any harm come to her.” He put out his hand and they gripped it one after the other. ‘Harm ain’t got no more show with her than a lemon sour has to make a hit with Sven Jensen,” Curry said. “Jensen may mix in on you,” Jerry said. “You want to look out for him.” “That Swede,” the two men chorused. Jerry left them. He had a feeling that this struggle was growing bigger day by day. On his side he: was enlisting clean, “that’s my Don’t let though rough men, men who would fight COnnieooolks C@