Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

$0 THIS kill the wrong one. And to be swell about it, like Iron Reedy was! Always dressed like he was going to a party. Keeping in the background, pulling the strings. _ -“But it’s dead wrong,” Reedy was re- suming. ‘‘ America was never planned that way. ‘Too much power for any one man to swing. It’s like I had ten thousand arms and legs and eyes. And I’m only one of the small fry, at that. System will pass away. If it don’t, then we'll go blah, like Russia. say, I can’t break the habit now. But get this right; I never did use my power to get a fellow bumped off! If he needed it, I at- tended to it personally, and took my chances.” They slowed down, came to a halt on a rocky point whence for miles up and down the coast their eyes had a clean sweep. — could make him rich i in six months, Reedy inhaled deeply. Presently he un- buttoned his coat, and removed a long, stiff envelope. ““Open it,” he commanded. The boy did so. Within were ten one- thousand dollar unregistered qaiberss Bonds. “Tf you bring *em back to town, they'll take Yem off you. “Maybe they Sail up here; but at least they’ll last longer.” “But I don’t want them! I tell you, 1 don’t have to be paid!” protested the Slap- er. : - Reedy feed him with a cold eye. “ Thought I told you I was all clean? I don’t have to buy you—nor any other man! — This is yours with no strings on it. You'll never see me again—unless you’re dumb enough to return to the city. You need a stake. It takes a long time to dig ten --grands’ worth of clams. But with these __ bonds, you'll be as good as anybody but Hendrie. And he tells me he can use you in a little game of his own?”’ The Slapper nodded, still dazed. — “Play up to him. You and Letty, too. I’ve always been interested in kids. Can — call about five hundred by name, and they _ think me and Santa Claus was born twins. They call me Bill!” He chuckled, and sighed. “ Hope to hell ‘their folks never wise ‘em up to what I 1S But it “ll last my time; and as I ~ whale. _ inside. ““"Fhey’re YOUN, ” “Reedy - said simply. : “called back. myself this way, and never shall again. WEDLOCK! © really am,” he said. “Not but what I~ might have been worse, and got away eS 1 2? He left, that evening, for Portland. “The minister’s wife,’ he said to the Slapper, during their final talk. “ Hell of a life! She was raised in a little Western city. Went to lectures and concerts and things. - Now she’s buried here, with a good — man who can earn most five hundred fish- in a lucky year. Seems she’s been crazy for a radio outfit. I’ve ordered one for her. A She can tune in on the Paris caba- rets, if she wants to. QP» Or, if she gets fed : = on = ee ex up on her old man’s ‘sermons, she can get Rome and hear the Pope preach in St. Peter’s. Be a life saver for her. her pals, too. I talked with the blacksmith — here about rigging it up. Some bird, that smith! if I had him in the big burg I: He. could work any combination box there is. Regular mechanic, home bred.” A littie later he spoke of Mrs. Tucker. “She won’t take a nickel for my board. Cheap at two hundred! I’m a new. man told the minister to book her up for every one there was except the pious ones. be suposed! They'll have to stow them — in the barn.” They all watched him as he. rolled in the turnpike. At the biz dune he slowed down and leaned back. -* Never - expected. to- enjoy Good-by!” — And that was the last of Iron Reedy. Five days later, opening his nesta : the Slapper’s eyes beheld a leaded —— smeared across the first page: WILLIAM (“IRON”) REEDY KILLED. _. Servant Finds Bullet-Riddied Body Outside — Door of His Park Avenue Apartment < | 2 es at Dawn. It was strange, the Slapper mused, how = =< everybody seemed to want to see hin fo right. There were the T uckers, ‘and Letty. Technically he was merely a boarder. But -—comicbooks But Letty tells” me she loves | maga-_ = — zines: the ones with stories in ’em. So = You'd — _“ Had the time of my sinful life!” he_ =