Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

oS $0 THIS IS WEDLOCK! - that Letty’s father rose dripping from the sea, and sat upon the edge of his bed. But He said ~ nothing, but grinned amiably at the sleeping this time he did not seem hostile. youth, his jaws moving ceaselessly as if upon some ghostly cud. And from time to time he nodded in satisfaction, and when he did the seaweed in his whiskers glistened, and in his furry ears the bright gold hoops twinkled. : Then he grew dim, and through the win-- dow crept the offshore breeze. The tide had turned, and was flowing back to the - sea. The Slapper dreamed no more, but slept the deathlike slumber of exhausted youth, holding in his tired hand the prize of valor. VI — In the heat of battle had the Slapper fallen or been struck beneath the feet of Micah Shelby, the latter would have put the boots to him; possibly have killed him. But Micah, bad as he might be, was no murderer. His rage did not lessen after the fight; but the unreasoning passion which inspired the killer was replaced by something saner. comprehensibly to him, by a smaller, weak- er man. Henceforth, Wedlock was no place _ for him. A dethroned idol is the most pitiable of objects. In a half hour, Micah’s subjects fell away. He might still be able to beat them up, but he could not hold their alle- giance. With a swift efficiency he sold out his lobster pots, dories and tackle; and no more definite news of him was available than that he a bought a ticket for Ban- gor. In no other way could the Slapper have so endeared himself to the little town. It would not be accurate to say that no single being missed Micah. His mother wept for him in secret; but that is the eternal privi- _lege of mothers. its way, because it had been built up about him, and threatened to disintegrate. The old eexton believed that the hand of God had been manifested. The pastor could not approve the means, but gave thanks - that the instigator of. much” trouble had ~~ dwelt. -= been removed FORE their 1 Bids He was licked, and in- The gang missed him, in The Slapper was ahead by the cor-— dial reception he met with when he ap- — peared next morning. He was also studied — with new interest, as a sort of freak; for, aside from Major Hendrie, there were none — who could appreciate the artistry with which he had polished off a fellow manifest- _ ly able to take him apart limb by. limb. Nobody knew how he had done it; but all knew that he had, and were =atished. == With Micah gone, the Slapper still had - enough on his mind to worry about. In a- twinkling his relations to Letty — changed. Of course, looking back he was — able to trace to some extent the minute steps by which respect had turned to lik-— ing, liking to something warmer. But he — had not — that he was in love me | Letty’s warm lips blended with his own. = And the discovery filled him with some- ~ _— What could he do What would she expect him to a thing like dismay. about it? do? For the first time in his life he had oe unable to spend his income. There was nothing to buy, nothing he wanted that he — = His cigarettes, a little sate did not have. - and soft drinks for the kids: six dollars a— week for board and room and laundry, an— occasional hair cut by the village barber- — undertaker; and he was drawing down a hundred a month!. But—for chow long? — It might be cut off at any time. A line — from Rhino Bennet, and he was adrift — = once more. He had no trade, no pros- pects, no ambitions beyond working up | until he should become a little boss, and some day perhaps a leader like Iron Reedy. But competition was keen; he had never - shown any ability yet save as a magnified | errand boy, a fetcher and carrier, == There were other fields, of course. Boot- legging. Various get- each -quick schemes; more often than not spelling gseerient quick. He didn’t doubt that he could pel a reasonable amount of money, by hook or _ crook. He had never been without it for Bet = m —— ax = _ —— = —S <= long. But then, he had never expected to = marry! And if he had, it would normally — = Se have been to some girl of his own. class, — me = versed in the devious ways of the edge of the underworld in which he had always — She would not be squeamish; would = CO m- : comicboo He 2S