Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

318 kind of welcomed another chance to show Bill where he stood. But Bill—- | ‘“ You haven’t seen it,” says Bill, feeling pretty cocky because Charley Edwards had explained so carefully that the machine was unique and had been adapted by them for their own use. ‘“ You don’t know what I know. She’s a sixty-inch Miles Cement two-head ‘boring mill with a taper attach- ment, arid she’s in Ar shape, and she’s worth a lot more than I paid for her.” “T’m sorry for you, Bill,” says W. A. “You seem like a pretty decent chap, and I really thought that you might win Lucy in a.year or two if you paid attention to business. But now—’ “Mr. Clarke,” Bill comes back firmly and indignantly, ‘1 was willing to let you in on this, but I'll tell you right now that you couldn’t buy that machine from me for $15,000!” “Hah! Rich!” says old W. A. ‘“ That as rich! Ha, ha! You couldn’t get fif- teen thousand, you know.” “No?” says Bill. ‘No? Well, I'll get fourteen thousand for the blooming thing. Just watch me!” He hesitated just a minute. “Tl tell you what I'l! do,” he says then. ‘‘I’ll make a bet with you that I can sell that machine in the next place | go into for fourteen thousand dollars. Ii I make it, you’re to let me have Lucy to- morrow. If I don’t, I’ll sell you the ma- chine for just what it cost me—$2,500. Are you game?” W. A. just stared at him. “Wait a minute—wait a minute,” he coaxes as Bill starts to get out of the place. ‘‘ You say you bought a sixty-inch Miles Cement two-head boring mill for $2,500°”' ‘With a taper attachment,” Bill re- minds him. “Oh, damn the taper attachment!” the old man answers. “It’s there just the same,” sulks Bill. ‘Well, maybe it is,’ W. A. concedes, “ But never mind it how. The point is, you've really got this machine? You really own iit?” Bill draws a copy of the bill of sale from his pocket. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. * ‘“And you’re proposing to sell it for $14,000?” Bill nods. ‘Well, Bill, all I can say to you is that if you were bright enough to buy that ma- chine for $2,500, and if you can sell it for $14,000 in the next place you go, you won’t Have to wait until to-morrow for Lucy. You can have her to-day.” “ Just watch my dust,” Bill answers, and he runs out into the street. There he looks around for a minute or two. A block or so up—-up above Grand Street—he sees a big building towering over all the rest, right opposite police headquarters. There’s a sign on the side wall that reads: ‘“ En- tire plants bought and sold for cash. All transactions guaranteed.” “ That’s me,” says Bill, and he foots up and asks: for the boss. “Tve got a sixty-inch Miles Cement two-head boring mill with a taper attach- ment,” he sails right into tt again. “ Auger offered me $6,000 for it, Kiroffsky bid’ $8,000, Miller said it was worth $10,000, but he didn’t have the money to buy it. I’ve just told Clarke I wouldn’t sell it to him for $15,000. I'll sell it ‘to you for $14,000.” Simon Landsturn peered out over his glasses. ‘“ Say that again,” he invites. Rill repeats it. “Vil take a Jook at it,” says Land- sturn, “This is @ rush order,’ Bill answers him. ‘‘ You see—” And he proceeds to tell Landsturn about his bet, and about the need for quick action, “and—well, there’s something about Bill that sort of stirs peo- ple up. ‘“Where've you got itr” asks Landsturn finally. ‘“The machine? Over at Hickvall’s baking machinery plant in Long Island City,” says Bill. “ Hickvall’s? Hickvall’sr” Landsturn ‘brushes his head thoughtfully. ‘“ Let me see—I’ve got a brother-in-law over there, and I think he’s only about five or six blocks from Hickvall’s. I'll see if I can get him on the phone.” In another minute gs sea htlyetiltco