Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

316 “Then I'll take you m. You are under arrest. Come ah He laughingly agreed, and before many minutes we were seated together at a little table in my down-town lynch club. Clancy glanced from the high window which com- manded a sweeping view of river and bay. The sight was not novel to him ‘but the elegance of the club fittings was, no doubt, for he looked around in open admiration. Tossing off the cocktail the waiter brought, he smiled. “ Fine!’’ he exclaimed. “I wish | J] had your habit, Mr. Kent.” ‘“ My habit?” “Yes, sir; the habit of being rich; it’s just a habit.” “JT don’t think I understand.” ‘Well, that’s because you haven’t ana- lyzed, like I have. Look here, sir. Most everything is habit. One practises a busi- ness or profession until it becomes almost automatic. I’m a thief taker from acquired habit. From habit I can tell a crook when you might take him for asaimt. See? You always have been rich; you always will be because you don’t change your ways. I’ve got the habit of being poor. Damned hard habit to break, believe me.” ‘‘ But a rich man may meet with reverses, Clancy,” I began, rather struck by the origi- nality of his idea. ‘‘Sure thing. We sometimes break a habit by strength, but many people never get ahead. It isn’t luck. They are often bright, but they’re cursed with the habit of failure. Take Beau Kelly, for instance.”’ “ What of him?’ I asked. “Well, Beau Kelly’s a crook. He came of good family, but he inherited the habit of failure: Almost graduated from high school—but failed. Got into college some- how, and got out just short of graduation. Failed again. Took to the stage and failed in six months. Took to commercial life. Landed a position in a jewelry-store. Went out with a lot of stuff that didn’t belong to him, but as the proprietor was a philan- thropist—from habit—and got back most of the loot, he didn’t prosecute. “Then Beau married. In two months his wife was wise to him and skipped, tak- ing with her a diamond ring that Kelty had forgotten to return to his former boss. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Failure again. Now he works the one habit he has acquired, but he’s a failure at that. He’s a jewel thief, well educated, daring, debonair, dangerous; but, sir, he’s not complete in anything. He’s got the habit of failing, and now he’s way down. ‘There you are, sir. Think it over. Most every thing is habit, from the cradle to the grave—either inherited or acquired. I could talk on that line for a week.” But Clancy is no bore; he knows when he has said enough. “ Going away this summer?’ he asked, changing the subject. “Ves” I said, “ but I haven't made up my mind as to where. It’s a toss-up be- tween the Northwest and the Maine woods.”’ -“ Found any new gems lately?” Clancy knows I’m a collector of stones, especially of opals. “Yes, several.” ‘“ Going to leave them in your house?”’ é¢ No. 2) { “Wise guy!” said Clancy. We finished lunch. When I paid my bill I found I had just forty dollars with -me, and after bidding my guest good-by I luckily went to the bank and drew five hun- dred. Then I took a taxi and went hame. I mean that I went to my house, for “home” is hardly the word to use, as I am a bachelor of forty and live alone, so far as a family is concerned. James, my butler, a ministerial- looking chap, brought me a bunch of un- important letters, and after reading them I went to my regular club, dined, and passed the evening. It was midnight when I got back to my house, bored to death, as only one without a definite object in life can be_ bored. James, the unsmiling, looked as if he wished I'd go to bed, but I wasn’t in the mood, so, after placing the humidor within reach, he retired to his post in the front hall. I had just finished a cigar and a vapid story in a high-priced magazine when the front-door bell rang and a moment later I was surprised to see Dick Durand. fairly rush inte the room. Dick is the captam of a regular coast liner, but I don’t care to mention the name of the company. I hadn’t seen him for a month. He was not in uni- form, my Dut that he was mightily upset was COLM S ElLOOO (CO ww