The Argosy for May — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

yO anes el oP 5 Oh, but you don’t understand. Spear is a scoundrel. He touted me ”—Harry winced at the word—‘he touted me avainst this horse so hard that I was wild to play it, but I didn’t have any movey. I had been losing pretty heavily down here with him before, you see. Then he and Corning got hold of me, and told me that although they were too short to lend me any money themselves, they could fix it with a bookmaker to hold me up for the bet, and not press his claim inside of six months, provided I ‘could furnish him some good security. Well, I knew I could easily make up the amount in that length of time, so I gave them some railroad bonds which are as good as gold, and—” “Railroad bonds?” broke struck by a sudden suspicion. did you get any such things?” For he knew that at the pace they had all been going young Ramsey would long since have hypothecated any negotiable securities in his possession. “Oh, I had them,” evasively. “ But what business is that of yours? You don’t have to know all about my re- sources, do you?” But Harry was not to be put off. ‘“Where did you get those bonds, George?’”’ he insisted, -gripping down hard upon the other’s shoulder. in Rock, ‘“ Where And although the boy tried to act: haughty and indignant at first, he pres- ently broke down under the continued pressing, and admitted that they were not his own. “The old man gave them to Anita for a present once,” he confessed sullenly. “Ten of them for a thousand dollars each; and she kept them in the back of her little jewel safe, never looking at them except twice a year, when she would get them out to cut off the coupons, and let the old man collect the interest for her. “Well, when Spear and Corning got me all up in the air over this horse, and I was casting about every which way to lay my hands on some security, all of a sudden the thought of these bonds. oc- curred to me. I knew that I could get them back all right, the semiannual in-* terest having just been collected. Sis wouldn’t dream of looking at them for another six months, and even though my FOR ACTION. 207 horse lost I would easily be able to re- deem them in that time. Sot sg,” he faltered, ‘‘ I borrowed them without let- ting Anita know, and put an envelope full of blank paper in their place.” Rock did not attempt any moral stric- tures or reprehension at this time. ‘The thing to do now was to get the mess straightened out as soon as possible. Besides, he felt somehow as though the cloak of a preceptor would not fit alto- gether easily upon his shoulders. ‘And has this bookmaker the bonds now?” he inquired quickly. “The bookmaker? No,” fairly wailed George, panic again seizing upon him. “That is what I have been trying to tell you. After the race I went to the book- maker to have a talk with him, and make sure that the bonds would be held until I could redeem them, and he told me that no such collateral had ever been placed in his hands. ‘Why,’ he said, ‘that crook of an Ed Spear has simply-soaked them down into his own wallet. If you’re wise, young man, you'll lose no time in laying hands on him, and getting back your stuff; for I tell you straight, he’s nothing better than a thief, and ten thou- sand is a pretty tidy haul.’ ” Nothing better than a thief! ‘lhe words rang upon Harry Rock’s ears like the sound of a death-knell, and a chill- ing grip seemed to settle about his heart. His misgivings in regard to that draft. then, had not been mere fanciful alarms. It would undoubtedly be returned from Chicago, and he was a ruined man. In an instant he was as wrought up and agitated as George himself. “Yes,” he exclaimed distractedly, “‘you are right. We must get hold of Spear 4 99 at once: re CHAPTER VII. A COUNCIL OF WAR. HEEDLESS whom they jostled. and of the curious looks cast in their direction, the two young fellows, wild-eyed and with drawn faces, dashed hither and thither through the crowd. Around the betting-ring they tore, dis- regarding repeated injunctions from the police to “ keep to a walk,” and thereby almost getting themselves arrested. They mM 0)(0)(6) (C SS (C@