Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 18, 1925 — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

254 ries you I’ll declare quits. I couldn’t wish her worse luck.”’ “ You've got Gertrude wrong, old man,” declared Howard earnestly. ‘You are away off about her. She has the sweetest, loveliest, kindliest nature in the world.” “Oh, my God!” exclaimed Rod. “ That I should have to hear such things.” ‘You don’t know her.” “T think I know who stole those jewels. It was Higginson, the man who took my money on the train. I was watching him play bridge this morning and saw him deal a card off the bottom of the deck. He’s a crook.” Howard whistled in surprise. Then an _ expression of satisfaction came over his face, “So that’s how he got thirty bucks out of me on the train. I thought I wasn’t such a rotten bridge player as I looked that af- ternoon. But because he’s a gambler, doesn’t mean he’s a burglar.” “Tt means he’s dishonest, and some dis- honest person stole your friend’s jewelry. I think he took them just as surely as he got my twenty-two hundred dollars.” “ Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we found some way to recover both,” Howard re- marked. ‘“ Probably Mrs. Potter-Dunlap will offer a reward. Would you give a re- ward for the return of your money?” Rod laughed loudly. “ You forget that the rich Mr. Campbell wouldn’t dream of collecting a reward from a lady for recov- ering her jewels. If you turn detective you must do it for love. And I won’t pay any reward to you because it was your fault I lost the money, since you scraped acquaint- ance with this crook and his friends.” “Tt would be a feather in my cap if I recovered them, just the same.” “Go to it. How are you going to start?” “Well, we'll have to trail the fellow. That’s what they always do. Say this boat is beginning to rock.” ~ He was right. The Durania, until now as steady as a hotel, had begun to roll with a slow, but considerable motion. Through the porthole they could see the light blue of the sky give place to the dark blue of the sea. The dividing line rose above the top of the porthole, and the ocean shown in the ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. circle was flecked with white caps. Then the reverse motion began, and the sea slipped down until a complet disk of sky replaced it. CHAPTER XVIHFI. HEAVY WEATHER. T was the first experience of the two in- landers with the swell of old ocean. Both thought of seasickness and wondered if they would succumb. “If this keeps up I bet a lot of ladies won't show up for dinner,” Howard. ‘And quite a few men, including one fron. Kansas City. You are white under the gills already.” “Nothing of the kind. It would take more than a little bit of a roll to bother me. I think this cabin is kind of stuffy, though. Let’s get out on deck where there is plenty of fresh air.” Rod was willing, for he was none too certain of his own ability to resist paying tribute to Neptune. So they made their way on deck and sank into their chairs. It began to.look as if the Durania were in for a blow. Heavy clouds had ob- scured the blue of the sky. Deckhands were busy fastening up the wide, plate glass windows which enclosed the shelter deck while others were putting in position wide declared : strips of canvas along the unprotected por- tion of the ship’s rail. A number of women had become seasick in anticipation. They lay back, white and still, in their chairs, wincing inwardly at every gentle roll of the ship and attracting to themselves, through the power of im- agination, the illness they would avoid. Captain Brown was making his way along the deck, pausing at every third or fourth deck chair to assure anxious women that no dreadful storm was expected. He noticed Campbell and McGarry and went over to them. “Glad to see you on deck again, Mr. McGarry,” he said in a. bluff and intention- ally loud tone. “ Hope you are not feeling this bit of sea?” “We are inlanders, captain,” said How- micbooks (E() Ya s- an