Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 13, 1923 — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

WHEN A MAN’S BROKE, thing, like first love. Therefore, had Steve Brown always thought highly of himself as an advertising expert, ever since his days of making good with the Honeyman post-pole digger. He had gone to Mark Honeyman and said: “ Mr. Honeyman, I was in Midvale yesterday, at McAllister’s store. A farmer was looking at one of your diggers, but he bought one of the old-fashioned kind at last, because he had seen that kind work, and he never had seen yours. He wanted to take your stock sample outdoors and try it, at that. But you know McAllister. Now, Mr. Honeyman, listen.” Thus Steve got his first job. In a year he had sixteen field agents, who would oper- ate in county towns on market days along lines laid down by him. Selecting a spot near the local post office, the agent would bore holes in the earth. Farmers in large numbers would gather around to see him work, after which they would hasten to the nearest hardware shop and buy Honeyman diggers. ‘‘ Let ’em see it working and they’ll want it,” was his golden theory. This theory he now purposed to bring to the aid of the Frazers. But he did not tell them so. They hada code of ethics. They did not believe in ad- vertising. They didn’t know what was good for them. The town of Boulton would probably laugh at him for trying to produce platinum by main‘strength and awkwardness and without benefit of capital. But he would be digging post holes for something more than the holes. Some day the sight of the Frazer mine in operation would attract an investor with a million dollars. Then he would have the laugh on the town. At dawn Daniel Frazer found him at the straw-thatched stable, harnessing the team in preparation for removing the obnoxious Lutwell Syndicate frem the homestead. “ Nellie has told me of her bargain with you,” said the old gentleman. “Yes, sir. Will you stand for it?” The question was scarcely necessary, save as a courtesy, since Frazer was almost negli- gible in the decisions of the family. ‘She is the business head of the house,” 3 A Frazer answered. “ But I must know your = plans.”” And when he had heard as much of them as was good for him to know, he said: “At least, you won’t be idle this summer. Go ahead and see how far you can get.” Uncommonly brisk he seemed this morn- ing, and, as he stood by to see his guests off, uncommonly cool. There was no sad- ness of farewell when they embarked. “Well, doctor,” said Lutwell breezily when he was settled in the stage, ‘‘ we’re going to see you again.” No response made Frazer. Tall and straight and stern, he watched the wagon roll away. . “Now, young fellow,” said Lutwell to Steve as they drove down the cafon, “ will you kindly tell us why, when you are in our employ, you butt in on our affairs and cor- ner a property you know we want?” “You didn’t seem to want it very hard,” Steve responded, ‘“‘ so I put in a bid myself. I hate to see a good thing go begging. Worse yet, I hate to see friends of mine flim=> _ = flammed.” He thought he heard a chuckle from the back seat, and when he looked around, Laird was grinning, sure enough—grinning at Lutwell, who, for his part, was scowling oS tremulously. “One for you, uncle, old bean,” said Laird, then he addressed the driver. ‘“ What did you pay for your lease, Mr. i oo Brown, if the question is a proper one?” “A heavy price,” Steve confessed. More = than once since breakfast his hand had wan-- tits dered to his tobacco pocket. He was now chewing a bit of leather trimmed off the end of a rein. “If your idea is to hold us up,” said Lutwell, “ what’s your figure?” ‘“‘ Ask me in December, after we have the ore running.” Words that Miguel had over- heard lingered in Steve’s memory. ‘“ We only need to show what the mine will do. Then plenty of people will want it. Don’t you think so yourself, Mr. Lutwell?” They might have cut-out the Watkins mule ranch, for Nell had supplied them with a noonday lunch. But Steve had personal and pressing business there, stopped. so they === The rheumatic Thomas Watkins and his — ag sy comicbooks.com