Argosy All-Story Weekly, March 15, 1924 — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

YOUNG “ Ves, sir,” says Billy, and goes and gets the apron. He makes a dive for the first customer that comes in. He gets by fairly well, though he has to ask Jimmie about locations and prices. Well, that was a large morning for Jim- mie. The customers come so fast that I went over and took a look through the win- dow of ’Lije’s store at a time when Jimmie was real busy. "Lije was monarch of all he surveyed, but Ke had mighty few subjects. One woman was in the store and she was looking around kind of disconsolate, like she had got into the wrong pew. I went home and got me some- Junch when Jimmie went, and I fairly bolted my food, but Jimmie was back at the store ahead of ‘me. I seen him go by my house while I was having my second cup of ¢offee. I stacked: my dishes, a thing I hadn’t done in a long time, but I didn’t want to miss nothing of what was going on. As L went out into the street I seen Elizabeth, Jimmie’s mother, hurrying to- -ward. me. She was panting- and her face was red when she come up to me. ‘“ Ma’am,” says I, “have you been in our new store?” For a fact I get to say- ing “our” about everything new that hap- pens. along in our town, and I just felt like T had an interest in Jimmie’s enterprise. I mean a financial interest. “It is a first class, flyless, dustless, creditless store,” says I to Lizzie. ‘‘ You’d be surprised.” The flush died out of her face and she fixed me with a hard and glitterin’ eye. “ Hill,” she says, “‘ what have you done?” “ About what?” “ Vou know about what. I hired you to watch that—that woman and you have not done it. You have aided and abetted James in his mad enterprise. He will bankrupt himself. Why, I hear you went with him _ and aided and abetted him when he bought an expensive car.’ “ That’ was the easiest aidin’ and abettin’ ever I see a man do,” says I. “ Why, I would have had to hit your son over the head with a piece of cast iron pipe to have stopped him.” “ That woman is back at my son’s home,” she says. ‘She came in from the beach REBELS. this morning. And she has a colored ser vant there.” “Jennie?” says J, chuckling as I got ready to spring a good one that I remem- bered sudden. “‘ Why, Jennie ain’t colored;' she was born that way.” ‘You permitted that woman.to return to my son’s house,” she exploded, ignoring my pleasantry. I not only get the news as it happens, but I get the details. of it. Many a time I have made a good story out of a poor one for Royal Selden’s newspaper. ‘“‘T just happen to know,” says I, “ that that house is half Sadie’s. That’s the way Jimmie had the deed made. I seen the entry in the records.” ’ “Oh, my good Lord, is that so?” says Elizabeth. “ What madness wa James be up to next?” 693 “Well, it may prove to be a good ar-— rangement in this case,” says I. Sadie can occupy part of the house and . Jimmie can occupy the other half.” “Are you working for me or for that— that woman?” she asks, spiteful. “FE am employed by the town,” says I, kind of peppery. “ That’s the only job I got.” Sle shot a look at me that was as fast and flary as lightning. ‘“You are not working for me,” she says. “T don’t trust you. That creature has you under her influence. You wouldn’t report anything about her if you knew anything.” “You are. wrong about that, Mrs. Fraser,” says I, solemn. “ I’m reporting to you right now that Sadie is one of the nicest little girls I know. E am for her by a hand- ‘some majority, and the returns ain’t all in yet from the outlying precincts.” Elizabeth made an angry sound that there ain’t no’ letters to describe. It was such an ugly sound that she nearly choked on it. Then she wheeled around and left me flat. “ Bon voyage,” says I, “ and a long jour- ney away from me.” ' I went off down the street, quite agitated for an old fellow that could pass through a cyclone and only wonder how hard the wind had’ blowed. So Sadie was back, eh? She had: come to investigate the doings of her so-to-speak lord and master, huh? And comiclbooks (Cc “* You see, CO