Argosy All-Story Weekly, March 15, 1924 — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

694 there was that matter of the twenty dollar bill which I had give her as coming from the aforesaid.. And me probably the worst ex- plainer that the world has ever known. _ I kept a weather eye on Jimmie when I went into the store. If there happened to be anything in his looks that indicated he had received notice from Sadie that he had - been the donor of that twenty dollars, I” would have. to see about several matters which I had been neglecting.. Them mat- - ters would be attended to some distance from the new store also. But all seemed still ‘to be joyful with Jimmie. He beamed on me like a man that has either been drink- ing or is on his way to a certain cellar some place. a success. It. is a huge success.’ “ May it be huger,” says I, reaching for a cracker barrel that wasn’t there and then bringing my hand up to scratch my ear, carelesslike, ‘‘ I—” Dogged if I could ever remember what I had been about to say.. For there was 2 slender shadow along the floor. I looked at the door.and give a kind of a gasp. A lady had come’ to call! Yes, yes, and she had a little flat purse in her hand, and I had an idea that purse held what was left of my twenty dollar bill. “Why, Mrs. Fraser,” says I, and I got to my feet and started toward her. - 8 It had been in my mind to give her one of these here stage whispers. I was going to tell her to be mum about the twenty and I would explain at the first opportunity, convenient or inconvenient. But Sadie was halfway down the store by the time I got to my feet, and when I reached her she was fairly close to where Jimmie was standing. And the silence in that store was the deepest thing yet. I hadn’t never knowed that silence could be so silent. Any whisper that might have issued from my lips would have been like a yell. with Sadie and give the order for retreat. . Sadie’s handshake was kind of loose in- stead of being quick and snappy as usual. Her eyes was looking beyond me toward her husband. I think she had come primed for a reconciliation, but Jimmie was stand- ing with his arms folded and his hand on plomat at an American peace meetin’. “Mr. Tom Hill,” says he, “ this store is So I just shook hands - ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, his chin. Of course he was looking at her, but there is a difference in looks. Instead of looking at his pretty young wife Jim- mie might have been looking at a cord of — wood piled crooked. Sadie’s eyes were a bit questioning for maybe an eightieth of a minute and then they went as hard as dia- monds. Billy had disappeared into the back of the store. “ May .I be served?” Hers was not the voice of a foreign di- She’ was showing in her tone just how she felt about matters as they stood. | “ Certainly, madam.” I think Jimmie had maybe a slight edge in his.tones of the two of them, but just to be fair as between husband and wife I called it a toss-up. Jimmie come forward, defer- ential as-a block of ice. Sadie takes a slip out of her pocketbook and hands it to him. “ Fill that,” says she, “ and deliver it to my house.” . ‘We do not deliver, madam.” Sadie looked at me with her eyebrows | lifted up and her eyes steely. She seemed to be inquiring of me as to what kind of a Joint this was. Jimmie’s back.was to me, and I took the occasion to indulge myself in some more or less agile pantomime, end- in’ by pointing to the pocketbook and shak- — in’ my head most vigorous. I didn’t think she would get me, for I don’t pantomime none too well, I expect, but Ill be swizzled - if she didn’t flash a tiny smile at me and shake her head. | “leaned back in my chair and drew in an ey (ra long breath. “ee Just ‘what kind of a store is this?” she says to Jimmie. ‘“ Cash-carry,” he said, still icy. .“ Fly. less, dustless, new stock, courteous service, all goods g euaranteed or your money back— if you happen to have paid any money. I may say that we extend credit to no one— rich or poor, white or black, Democrat or Republican, golf player or back yard gar- dener.”” | “You may fill my order,” she says. Her order only fills two baskets and three of them paper bags with handles to ‘em. Jimmie did some rapid totting up on Sadie’s slip of paper. EO 1IOO S C@