Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

_ JERRY THE SPIRITED. usual financial condition. Jensen might not trust me if he wasn’t feelin’ just right, and there might be nobody in there to buy. I ought to have the drink first off, to make things look right. If I went in and looked around Jensen might get suspicious.” Jerry handed him fifty cents. ‘“‘T hate to take it, Jerry,” Luce said. ‘““T know you do,” Jerry retorted. ‘“ Run along.” The man was instantly lost in the snow. Jerry went up the other side of the street. He waited fifteen minutes while Luce spent the fifty cents. Then he saw the snow turn yellow over where Jensen’s door was. Five more minutes passed. Then Luce was at his elbow, having gone up the street, crossed over, and returned. “ Jensen is goin’ out all right,” Luce said. “ He has got on his fur coat and cap. He seems to be waitin’ for somebody.” “All right,’ Jerry — said. obliged.” : “Tt’s a bad night, Jerry,’ Luce insinu- ated. “A few more snifters would set right nice with me.”’ Jerry handed him a dollar and charged both sums up. to services rendered. Luce disappeared, and in a moment the light ap- peared in the snow again. The dollar, Jerry knew, was burning a hole in Luce’s pocket. The door was no sooner closed than there was the rattle of a carriage’s wheels on the cobblestones. The carriage stopped in front of Jensen’s and for the third time the yellow light showed. The door of the carriage was opened and slammed shut. The horses started up the street at a moderate pace. Jerry ran after the carriage. His strength had come back to him sufficiently to convince him that he could keep up with the horses if they did not go too far and move too fast. The snow favored him in two respects. It prevented his being seen from the rear window of the carriage and it kept the horses to an easy gait. The driver appeared not to want to take any chances of running into another rig. The chase-led Jerry to the railroad tracks. There the carriage took the road which the other carriage had traveled. “ Much 299 ‘On his way to the club to see Mamie,” Jerry said to himself. ‘‘ He could save him- self a trip if he would look into the tele- graph office. But he’s lucky he don’t.” Night travel on this road was never heavy, and here the driver whipped up his horses. They sprang forward, and for a moment Jerry lost sight of the carriage. He increased his pace, and the horses, hav- ing steadied down after their first spurt, he soon saw the back of the carriage again. Running was not easy with the snow half blinding him and the wind trying to whip his breath from his mouth. His breath- ing was soon labored and a pain came into his side. But he kept on. He would keep on till he dropped or till they arrived at Sven Jensen’s destination. Long befcre they reached the road lead- ing to the river, Jerry thought they must have passed it. But in time the driver slackened his speed and turned into it. Jerry was gasping now through parted lips. The pain in the side had resolved itself into a dull ache which made his breathing all the more difficult. When the carriage at length stopped, he was staggering and he wavered to the side of the road and dropped down. He lay for a moment at full length, crowding air into his lungs. He knew he need not hasten now, for Dayton and Pat would be at the club to watch Jensen. The carriage drew over to the other side of the road and remained there. Jensen, Jerry saw, had bidden the driver wait. Per- haps he was figuring on taking Mamie away with him. After he had got his breath back, Jerry rose and walked slowly past the carriage. The snow was so thick that he could not see the driver on his seat, and he knew that he himself was unseen. As he turned down the river, he saw that a light from the club was feebly trying to cast its beams through the snow. He edged forward toward the light. Before he reached the window through which it shone, a hand was laid on his shoulder and Pat Lavin’s voice was in his ear. “You needn’t to worry about follerin’ Jensen, Jerry,” Pat said. ‘“‘ Dayton is on the job. My, but he has been rough with COmMicoooks (C@