Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 2 — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

we Ray Cummings sa ONEST, Jim, if I had two hundred dollars I’d pay you in a minute,” declared the young man earnestly. “ But I haven’t got it right now, and that's all there is to it.’ 3 He looked across the little living-room at his pretty wife, who sat under the piano- lamp quietly sewing, for confirmation of his statement. “You know how it is, Jim,’ he added. “We're not broke, exactly. We always have plenty of money—we spend enough, Heaven knows. But right now—to-night— we just haven’t got two hundred dollars— nor twenty, for that matter.”’ Jim Blake twisted a lock of his neatly slicked hair in his fingers and waited impa- tiently for his friend to finish. ‘““ Now, listen, Charlie,” he began earn- estly, ‘vou. maybe don’t understand how important this is to me. I ioaned you the money, didn’t 1? I was a good sport, all right, wasn’t 1? I never said a word about it—I knew you’d get around to it some time. But now I need it—worse than you did a darned sight when you borrowed it.” “We'll have it next week,” Mrs. Allen put in. “ You know, Charles only works on commission—we never get regular money. But we have plenty, and there’s a lot coming in next week—-ask Charles if there isn’t.”” She sighed wistfully and add- ed: “Only somehow it all seems to get’ spent as soon as we get it.” Charles Allen pulled a check-book from 281 his pocket. “I’ve got nearly three hun- dred dollars coming in ‘by this time next week, Jim. But that don’t help us if you’ve got to have the money to-night. And right now, this minute, there’s_ thirteen dollars and thirty cents here. You ought to know what our balance is; you work right in the bank.” “T do,” Mr. Blake admitted, ‘“ I looked it up to-day.” “All right; then you know. And we make plenty of deposits. Nearly three hun- dred already this month, wasn’t it? I’m darned if I know where it all goes. Fran- ces’s fault, I guess.” He grinned at his wife good-naturedly. Young Mr. Blake did not grin. “ You don’t seem to realize how important this is to me,’”’ he said. ‘“ And you won’t let me .tell you——-you say you’re not interested.” ‘I am interested, Jim. Id give it to you in a minute. But how can I give you what I haven’t got?) Now, if you’d only asked me—” | “You haven’t got the cash, Charlie. | don’t have to have cash. Your check’s all right—I can use that. You'll have plenty of money in a few days.” Charles Allen looked at his friend blank- ly.. “ Are you crazy, Jim? Do you think I’m going to draw you a check for two hun- dred dollars with thirteen in—” “Why not?” young Mr. Blake interrupt- ed. ‘ There’s nothing wrong with that. You just don’t understand, that’s all. The COMNIE IOOKS (E@)