The Argosy for May — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

282 booze or the pills or the pipe, or what- ever it is,” he remarked soothingly. “I thought you looked funny when we first came in. I never owned a brother by name of John, my boy. You—” “But your brother John was here last night! He was the. one who took your other brother away, sir!” | “Took him where?” ““That’s more than I can say. ‘There were a number of gentlemen up-stairs. ‘There was one they called ‘ Judge,’ sir, and three or four that they called ‘Doctor,’ and then—” “And then?” cut in Richard with dazed patience. ‘And then they all went away to- gether in one of those taximeter auto- mobiles, and Mr. Martin has not been back since, nor any of the rest of them!” The elder Hoffman licked his lips. “Dickson, is this straight?’ he in- quired. | “It’s just as the night-clerk told me, sir. I’m sure he wasn’t mistaken.” “And my brother was taken away last night?” “Ves, sir; and the night-man said that he didn’t seem himself at all. He said he was talking very wildly, and say- ing that he was blind, and that he made a good deal of resistance when they put him in the machine.” “Ves, I'll bet he did, if he didn’t want to go, but— Oh, see here! This is all too darned absurd. Where did the cab come from?” “The stand right across the way, sir. I heard them call it just before I went off my watch.” . ‘And where did they tell it to go?” ‘*T haven’t any idea of that, sir. The only thing I know is that your brother is gone, and that we haven’t heard a word of him since.” The elder man reflected for perhaps a minute. Then he rose suddenly and shot through the gate and across the looby and out of the hotel. Very abruptly it had been borne in upon him that something distinctly un- usual had happened to Martin, and he had decided to delve into the mystery at once. | He made for the cab-stand, and was greeted with enthusiasm by the man next ~ THE ARGOSY. in line. Experience suggested a gentle bribe. Hoffman thrust a small bill into the person’s hand and came straight to business, with: ‘Were you on duty here last night?” ‘No, sir.” “ Well, do you know who was?” “No, sir; but I know they ain’t now,” grinned the metered chauffeur. “Why not?” . ‘Because the whole seven that was on here last night was fired when they brought back their cars. They’d been fixing the taximeters, sir,’ finished the driver. “Are you sure of that?” Hoffman asked, rather breathlessly. “It’s the talk o’ the whole bunch, sir.” : “ Then—” ‘The inquirer turned suddenly and hur- ried away. Opposite corner there was a telephone- booth, and he made for it and looked up the number of the cab company. He had the connection very shortly, and the superintendent of the establish- ment as well—and he learned nothing. The man had been quite right. The whole-seven at that particular station had been discharged on their return last evening. No, the superintendent did not know the address of one‘ of them, or where they had been during the night, for that matter. He knew only that they seemed to have been a downright bad lot, and that this company proposed to maintain hon- est rates, and that any member of the employed force who sought to violate rules would be discharged on the instant his derelictions were discovered. The elder Hoffman hung up the re- ceiver wearily. His brother had been carried off in an unknown cab by an unknown collec- tion of men to an unknown place! It was absurd! It was outrageous! It was, furthermore, incredible; for, in the present crisis of the Galpin affairs, Martin would no more have thought of deserting business than he would have essayed a flight through the air; and—Hoffman took up the telephone once more, and called up his wife, across the street, and informed her that he was bound for the Galpin office. MICLOOOLK In the cigar-store on the_ (C@