Argosy: The Short Story Magazine — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

ys ee) a2 TRUST LITTLE AL 2 Beratched your entry. There is absolutely no time to waste. _ Baker’s train leaves Victoria in half an hour.” : “Half an hour! [ve got to pack— *% _ “A suitcase with all the stuff you’ll need for the next ten days is already i in the train, in the rack above your reserved seat.’ 5 a “ But— te ___“T suggest you leave your bowler hat and umbrella here. i _ There is a tweed cap and a raincoat in one of the suitcases. You _ carry your passport with you, I know.”’ es I nodded. os “Sensible man. So do I. Now, here’s the money. And the ~ 4 travellers’ cheques. Ticket. Seat reservation. And a list of — _ codes in case we have to communicate. You know the procedure. _ _ And—oh yes—there’s a gun in your sponge-bag. I’ve tipped — : off the customs, so there won’t be any trouble. Now, is there _ | ns else you'd like me to do for you?” | Do you know, quite honestly, I couldn’t think of anything. _ Forestier rang his bell, and his girl took charge of me. Cator — was still waiting with the car. He'd got rid of the driver and was behind the wheel himself. “Hop in,” he said. ‘‘ We haven’t much time.” He was more right than he knew. We ran into a solid trafic _ -« block at Marble Arch, swung into the Park, and ‘get caught behind a procession. oer I was sweating a bit by this time. The Office aren’t fond of _ people who miss important trains. “ Drive across the grass,” Isaid. “ This is special.” ‘“ 'That’s all right,” said Cator, “‘ we'll make it.”’ And we did, with less than a minute to spare. I waved to Cator, who grinned back at me, and then the train was moving _ 4 -and I walked down to find my seat. At first I thought I must have got the wrong reservation tab. Except that this would have been unlike the efficient Forestier _ who could conjure up clothes and shoes to fit; no doubt my measurements were down somewhere in his elaborate filing _ system, together with the names of my tailor and bootmaker and hatter. : ‘2 Then I recognized Alex Baker. He had a corner seat, facing the engine. Mine should have been opposite; I saw the new suitcase in the rack above it, but there was a girl in the seat. e. When they saw me looking, the girl said, “Looks like the boy- _ : friend, Al,” and they both grinned. Baker said, ‘‘ Sorry about 4 ; - this, but Gwen decided she couldn’t bear to leave me. She had - _ to come down to Dover and kiss me good-bye.” | = ; — | - Jn