The Argosy for May — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

212 there’s no reason why we shouldn't get ’em cashed to-morrow and sail on the Cavonia on Wednesday. Maybe things’ll break better for us on the other side; and, anyway, the sooner we get blue water between us and this job, the better I’ll be satisfied.” | “Oh, what’s the use of getting frightened? ”’ rallied his partner. ‘ ‘There isn’t one chance in a hundred that George Ramsey will drop to the game; and, even if there was, he don’t dare kick up arow. He stole the bonds himself.” “No! Who from? How do you know?” “He took them from his sister Anita. I know they are hers, because she told me about them herself,’’ answered Corn- ing. ‘ Strange how things work around,” he added musingly. “It must have been intended by Fate that these bonds should come to me in one way or an- other. Here, take them,’ thrusting the packet back into the envelope and hold- ing it out. “Oh, no; if youre going to market them to-morrow, you'd better keep them overnight. I don’t suppose there’s any danger of burglars in a place like this?” “Hardly,” smiled Corning. ‘ The night watchman is always around and the help are exceptionally honest. As you say, too, I guess it would be best to keep them here.”’ And with that he stepped over to his desk, dropped the envelope in a drawer, and, carefully relocking the receptacle, resumed his seat. Spear fidgeted about a second or two: : then somewhat deprecatingly started afresh on his plea for an early departure. ‘“No matter how sure we are about George Ramsey,” he urged, “I, never- theless, think it will be good sense for us to take that Cavonia when she pulls out on Wednesday. Suppose Rock should get to thinking over matters and have the bank wire an inquiry out to Chicago about that draft?” “Well, do you know what would hap- pen?” replied Corning. “Mr. Rock would simply land behind the bars a few days earlier. As I have already ex- plained to you, they can do nothing to you on account of that affair; but they can sozk him, and you may rest assured they'll do it. ~ THE ARGOSY. “In order to clinch the matter, I wrote an anonymous letter to the direc- tors of the bank to-night, warning them of their paying-teller, and informing them that he had placed a five-thousand- dollar bet at Max Snook 's pool-room this afternoon.” The tout stole a sidewise glance at his friend and scratched his head. “Why are you so down on that ‘poor sucker, Arthur?” he queried. ‘“ You and he have been pals, too, in a way, haven’t you? Yet there is nothing too bad for you to hand out to him. What’s the answer?” *Oh-=1 aespice the clodhopper!” broke out Corning, a dull flush of rage streaking his face. “So would you, too, if you’d had to have a lout like that held up to you as a model and a para- gon!” ‘Held up to you? By whom?” ‘The angry man hesitated a second. “By Anita Ramsey,” he burst out. ‘“By Jove, Spear, that girl is in love ‘with him—always has been in love with him. . She doesn’t know it herself maybe. but it didn’t take me long to find it out after I got engaged to her. It was Harry this, and Harry that, until I grew so sick of hearing his name that I swore I’d fix her pink of perfection for her. And I guess,” he added vindictively, ‘that I’ve about succeeded, although, at that,” with a wry face, “I wouldn’t bet ten cents that she didn’t eventually marry him, jailbird or no jailbird.” “Well, since there’s a woman between you, I don’t wonder so much any more,”’ granted Spear; “but before, I’m free to confess, I couldn’t understand it, for he always struck me as a pretty nice young chap. Indeed, I haven’t got any hard feelings against him now, except for the fact that we let him bet that five thou- sand dollars- instead of holding on to it ourselves. “Strange how I got such a fool notion into my head that that horse couldn’t be beat,” he muttered, shaking his head. ‘I thought we could make more by let- ting him win from the books first, and then taking his winnings away from him ; but the durn combination didn’t pan out. “I went bad on that dope, just as I did afterward on Senator Boy in the fifth race, and to—”’ Go DOOLK (C@