The Argosy for May — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

now, “ A COLD DAY FOR THE GEORGIA MAN, My breast expanded with a heartfelt sigh of relief. ‘“T guess you are all free to depart ladies and gentlemen, whenever you are ready,’’ announced the sheriff, with a pleasant smile. ‘‘I reckon you won’t want to hang around Shady Bower Farm after the experience you have had.” ‘*T teckon not,” 1 rephed.. © E- am awfully glad that my bottle plan worked so well. Aren’t you, Miss Meredith?” But instead of answering my question A Cold Day For By GEORGE 371 the beautiful girl suddenly reeled and fell fainting into my arms. Of course it was an unconscious act on her part, but her hands were certainly clasped around my neck when she opened her eyes. “ After all, this harrowing experi- ence possessed some compensating ad- vantages,’ I remarked to the sheriff. ‘So I perceive,” he replied, with a laugh. ‘“ Don’t forget to send me an invitation, young feller.” the Georgia Man. MARIANO. Not much trouble in getting this overcoat at a bargain, but lots of it afterward. ‘ ANTER good overcoat, cheap as dirt?” Walter Babbit looked as though he needed several things besides an over- coat. The store-clothes he had bought before leaving Simpson Corners were de- cidedly not of the smart cut worn by the young men he saw in the places where he applied for work. Then, three weeks’ tramping had caused their appearance to deteriorate sadly. His shoes had literally gone to pieces. His derby hat had come to grief in a rush at a Subway station, and positively refused‘to give up one or two dents. But the one need that impressed itself most deeply upon him this cold evening was that of an overcoat. All day he had wandered about searching for employ- ment, and shivering. The cheap meals had brought him to his last ten-dollar bill, but had failed to warm him. He was not used to New York’s De- cember weather. For Simpson Corners is in Georgia, as' any map big enough to mark a village of four hundred inhabit- ants will show you. And December in Georgia is different from December in New York: For the past week Walter Babbit had eyed every window of the cheap tailer- shops he passed. He had read every price-tag looking for one that should come inside the five-dollar mark. For he had made up his mind that five “wotild have felt a little nervous. dollars was his limit for an overcoat. He _ had just seen one at four-ninety-five that he would have turned up his nose at a week ago. But to-day was colder than any of the other days. He was just about to enter the little shop when the stranger accosted him with the question that showed the men- tal insight of a mind-reader. Babbit turned around .and looked in wonder at the possessor of such occult powers. The stranger was a short, thick-set young man about Babbit’s own age. He wore a rather shabby outer garment with its collar turned up at the neck. His hat was drawn over his eyes, which were a trifle shifty. The lad from Georgia could not help feeling a bit suspicious, but any propo- sition offering a good overcoat cheap was interesting. : ‘Come along and I'll show you a real bargain,” the man urged, and Babbit started off with him. They went through some side streets ; and, but for the fact that they were all fairly well lighted, the country youth He had a sort of feeling that he was being led by a very roundabout course to reach a near-by place. He was quite sure that he walked three or four blocks north after going some blocks south. When, at last, they pulled (EO) 0)(0)(6) ANIC S (C@