Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 3, 1924 — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

WHAT STEVE to his office. “It’s the glad news,” Barne predicted to himself as he answered the call. ‘ “Tm sorry, Barney,” McKee said, “ but Mr. McGonigle refuses to grant your re- quest for more salary—” “ Oh, well,” Barney said generously. “ I’d never have found out if I hadn’t asked. No hard feelings, Mac—” “‘ Unfortunately, that’s not all,” McKee smiled grimly. Mr. McGonigle gave orders to fire you—” Barney’s jaw dropped. quite hear that last, Mac—” “I said you were fired. Don’t blame me. But you made Mr. McGonigle sore, asking for that raise. Business isn’t so good. He’s irritable these days—” “ McGonigle fired me?” “ That’s it.” Barney heard this time. He considered a minute, digesting the news. His big, capable hands doubled into fists. His thick, rounding chest heaved. His blue eyes snapped. “Il talk to McGonigle,” said Barney as he turned quickly on his heel. “ Barney!” McKee bounded from his chair and caught Barney by his muscular arm. “ Nix,” he advised earnestly, “lay off the old man!” “ He hasn’t got any right to fire me,” Barney said through set teeth. “ He can’t do it—”’ “ But he’s done it,”’ protested the shocked McKee. “Then he can undo it—” ‘Listen, Barney, you’re only making useless trouble. The old man’s like a bear with a sore head to-day. Don’t take the chance—”’ _“Steve Brodie would,” Barney retorted and tore himself from McKee’s clutching hands. Cassius McGonigle’s office was at the far end of the building. Barney had never been near it before. At the door of the president and general manager of the Discus Forwarding Company a girl stenographer was on guard. Her head was bent as she read notes from her shorthand pad, while her fingers made the type keys talk like a rapid fire gun. Barney looked down upon “Ti didn’t BRODIE DID, 929 a poll of brown, slightly curly hair, bobbed at exactly the right length to entrance any “ Mr. McGonigle in?” he asked. The girl looked up to answer him and showed him a face that was instantly Bar- ney’s standard of womanly beauty, a face to which he would compare all other women’s faces—and find them lacking. “ Yes, he’s im,” the girl said with peculiar emphasis. “Is your business important?” “Tm Barney Wilder of the freight claims department,” replied Barney. “ He just fired me and I’m going to make him take it back. I guess that’s important—” “T guess it is, Mr. Wilder, but I don’t think I’d bother him just now.” “I’m going in,” said Barney. “ Well, I wouldn’t take the risk.” Barney paused to grin at her. “ Ever r hier of Steve Brodie?” “My, yes! But all he did was jump off Brooklyn Bridge. I guess you never met Mr. McGonigle—”’ “I’m about to have the pleasure,” Bar- ney said and strode past her. Half an hour later McKee found Barney in the washroom, laving a cut across his cheek and a blackening eye. “ McGonigle fired the telephone book at me,” Barney explained. ‘“ Then he threw me out of his office and I slammed into the door—it was standing ajar, and caught this shiner. I ought to have hit him, Mac, but he’s a lot older than I am. I was afraid of hurting him.” McKee wrung his hands. ‘“ Good heavens,” he said, “‘ this is awful! I never heard of such a damn fool as you are—” “T guess it’s the first time McGonigle ever heard of one, too,’”’ Barney agreed. “I saw it wasn’t any use arguing, after that. I resigned my job.” “It’s a darn shame,” McKee sympa- thized. “ But I told you not to ask for a raise—”’ “‘ Oh, well, there are lots of other jobs—” ‘¢ Not so many as there used to be, not now,” McKee cautioned. “ And when win- ter comes—say, Barney, you won’t get sore if I give you some well meant advice?” ‘“‘ Never got sore at a friend in my life, Mac.” comiclsooks.coni