Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

JERRY THE SPIRITED. Jerry smiled and gripped the hand. The freight-train pulled out after another train, westbound, had passed the station, and in less than an hour Jerry and Pat caught the passenger-train back home. They were tired and they slept all the way. ‘Where is this McBride?” Pat asked, as they stepped down on the platform. ‘““In the waiting-room,” Jerry said, “ un- less he has given Curry the slip.” ‘““ He would have as much chance of givin’ Curry the slip as he would have of givin’ a steel-trap the slip,” Pat said. . ‘Think you'll know him after all these years, Pat?” Jerry asked. “Vl just have a look at him,” Pat said. Something in the section-foreman’s tone stirred Jerry’s interest. He led him to the waiting-room. Curry and his prisoner were still sitting on the bench. Curry rose, yawning. ‘““Tve had an excitin’ night,” he said. “The operator was just tellin’ me about Clayton’s report that went over the wire. Quite a fuss, eh, Jerry? I wish I'd been there. I deserve a credit-mark for staying here with this poor fish all these hours.” ‘I’m grateful to you, Curry,” Jerry said. He glanced at Pat. Pat was staring at the little man on the bench. He walked up _ to the man and stood before him. ‘Don’t you remember me?” Pat asked. ‘““Never saw you before,” the man erunted, his eyes averted. “ Didn’t know me at all when you had that fuss and killed a man years ago?”’ ‘““ Never saw you before.”’ “Well, I’m Pat Lavin that has worked on the section here, man and boy, for more years than Jerry Donovan is old. I knew the minute I laid eyes on you that I had knowed you in them old days, but to save me I couldn’t put my finger on you. But I got it on you now.” “Tt’s McBride, isn’t it, Pat?” Jerry asked. “It’s Mamie’s father.” ‘““Mamie’s father, me foot,” said Pat. ‘“McBride, me other eye. That man is Andy Gregg, that was a boon companion of McBride’s, got into that fuss with McBride and run away with him. Yes, sir, that is Andy Gregg. (The 317 been jingled a little, I’d know him in a million or two.”’ CHAPTER XV. THE BEGINNING, HERE was a wedding at Mamie Mc- Bride’s home three weeks later. Amor those present were the superintendent of telegraph and the division superintendent. The superintendent of telegraph had dis- charged Jerry when Jerry was only a line- man; but before the ceremony he called Jerry aside and said: “Tve got a little wedding present for you, Donovan. I’ve been investigating your case since the attempt to rob the pay-car, and I find that you were ill that day I watched you work, and that you hadn't touched a drop the night before. Why didn’t you tell me you were ill, man? “Anyhow, youre to be chief lineman. The chief has quit. If you want the job you can have it.” “T want it,” said Jerry.” ‘“ She was the prettiest bride ever I see,’ said Curry to Dayton. ‘“ And Jerry certin- ly looked like he was all man.”’ ‘““T would bet that a prettier girl than Mamie never took the high dive before,” said Dayton. ° “It was a nice piece of work “for Pat to put a tag on that damned skunk, Andy Gregg,” Curry said. “Yes, and to-day Andy tells the police all he knows, which ain’t such a much. McBride died out West some place the first year him and Andy was out there. Andy was a poor criminal. was about all. Then he come back here to blackmail McBride’s girl. Mamie had prac- tically never seen her father, as far as recc!- lectin’ him went, and she fell for his bluff. Of course she couldn’t let the damn’ horse- thief get to her mether to frighten th: mother to death.” As they trudged along through the snow, Curry said, with a satisiied sigh: “ Well, this is the end of it, anyhow.” “The end?” Dayton said scornfully. Ps Now that me memory has “ Why, it’s only the beginnin’, man.” End.) Gomuicbook He lived, an’ thet . (©