The Argosy for May — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

THE item, hoping against hope that he might discover an error, or that in some way he could make the figures lie. But it was, of course, a _ fruitless effort. The result showed the same de- pressing figures. His available cash as- sets were an even forty dollars—not a - cent less and not a cent more. At last, while he still ruminated dole- fully over the situation, there came a knock’ on the door, and» when Harry stepped over to open it, he was surpriséd to find upon the threshold no one less than the man who had played the part of his evil genius, Corning himself. The latter was haggard and upset, his eyes hollow and his hands _ trembling slightly with nervousness; but he was evidently trying to maintain his usual debonair manner. ‘Ah, Harry,” he cried to the other jauntily, “this is. better luck than I ex- pected to find you in- Still, I had a little stroke of business which I wanted to talk to you about, so I thought I would take a chance and run over.” ‘‘ Business?”’ repeated Harry, won- dering what on earth the fellow could have in his mind. “Yes,” briskly. “'fo come to the point, | find myself unexpectedly hard pressed for ready money. Sounds ridicu- lous, doesn’t it; but, most annoyingly, it happens to be the truth. Of course, I could dispose of some of my securities at a sacrifice; but I hate to do that for the small sum I need. So I thought I ‘would see if you would not be willing to loan me two thousand or twenty-five hundred for a few days.” Rock laughed hollowly. “Twenty-five hundred!” he repeat- ed. ‘You may believe me or not, as you choose, Corning, but I have been just running through my _ bank-bank, and I find I have but little more than twenty-five dollars.” His tone and expression were such that Corning could not doubt the sin- cerity of the statement, and he, too, pulled a long face over such a disap- pointing check to his plans. “By Jove,” he exclaimed _irritably, “that is certainly tough luck with a vengeance! And just when I have a ‘chance for a ‘killing’ which would more than put me on my feet again! ° TIME FOR ACTION. ‘201 —‘Isn’t there some way you can raise the money for me, Rock?” he urged eagerly. “I'll tell you. You raise five thousand, and I’ll put you on to a way of making a tidy bunch of money for yourself.” ‘How is that?” questioned Harry, not without a degree of interested curi- osity. “Why, you know Ed Spear, that Chi- cago fellow I introduced you to up on the roof-garden the other night. Well, he interested in horse-racing — of course, merely as a sport, though, for he has slathers of money; and he has tipped it off to me that there is a horse Is going to run to-morrow which is sure to have a good price against it, yet which can’t possibly lose. As he says, to put a bet down on this one is just like finding the money. ‘ Now, if you can only raise five thou- sand, we'll go in together on the scheme, twenty-five hundred apiece, and divide the profits share and share alike. There won’t be less than fifteen thousand dol- lars in it for each of us. Spear says the odds are bound to be as high as six to one.” But, tempting as was the proposal, Harry shook his head. When the other had first suggested giving him a chance to make some money, he had thought reference was made to a legitimate bus- iness deal, and the idea had occurred to him that he might possibly obtain five thousand dollars from Mr. Ramsey. But it would have to be a sanguine person indeed who could imagine the president of the Thirty-Fourth National as lending assistance to, or even countenancing a racing speculation, no matter how sure the results promised. “No,” said Harry regretfully, “I couldn’t raise five thousand dollars for. any such purpose as that, if I had to be hung for it.” ‘ Nonsense,” scoffed Corning. “ Do you mean to tell me that you couldn't borrow it from the bank if you’d a mind to?” 7 “Certainly I could. On good secu- rity. But where the mischief am I to get security for five thousand dollars? That is the question.” “Ah,” a shifty gleam showing in his eye, “but I was thinking of your bor- MiGdoOo Se 4