Argosy, Vol. 85, No. 3 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

AMERICANS “As the excellent senor says, why not?” he echoed. “ Still, I had hoped to close this evening. It is a handsome offer, senor!” ‘It’s so darned handsome that it makes one suspicious,” Girton smiled with utter candor. ‘‘ There’s something so_ se- ductively lovely about it that we wouldn’t close if you had a truck of gold in the street. That’s because we’ve lived years in Guanama.”’ “Tt is final, senor?” “ For this evening, at any rate.” “ But after this evening—” from the remarkable millionaire as he bounced to his feet and shrugged his shoulders disgustedly—and as quickly smiled again. “What about this evening?” Hemmett asked sharply. ‘‘ Why is this evening the particular one to, pay crazy prices for to- bacco?” Ricoro, spreading his palms deprecat- ingly before them, retreated behind his bland smile. It is a trick peculiarly Guanaman and bafflingly Chinese. It means anything in the world or nothing at all. In this case it seemed to indicate that both of them were unduly suspicious of an inoffensive millionaire whose sole desire was to make them richer; and when the smile had persisted long enough to convince them that Ricoro was done talking business he made a few perfunc- tory remarks about nothing in particular and took his leave. Down the street they heard the hum of his departing motor. Mr. Hemmett’s grin was quizzical as he asked: “What in blazes do you make of it, Steve?” “Nothing at all, unless some over- whelming trust is coming down here to buy in all the tobacco of the country, and Ricoro’s heard of it and borrowed enough to corner the supply before they get here.” “ But he couldn’t borrow two and a half millions in one lump.” “IT know that,” mused Mr. Girton, slipped | AFTER ALL. 359 ‘and by the same token you and I know the country very well, and I doubt if there’s one man beside your esteemed fatheryn-law able to hand out that sum in cash.” Through perhaps two minutes they smoked and pondered. ‘“There’s something behind that offer,”’ Hemmett announced. ‘ Something or other that has no immediate connection with the tobacco business.”’ ¢ Eh?” ‘“‘ Sounds silly, but it isn’t, Steve. It’s the result of living so long in Guanama, I suppose, and having thought about that queer election and the other queer things this evening. There’s a reason for every- thing that happens in this little old world, my boy, and there’s no visible reason for anybody wanting to take over our tobacco-land at fifty or sixty per cent more than it’s actually worth. Hence, the reason’s invisible at the moment.” Steve Girton, late secretary of war, leaned back in his chair and chuckled a little. Hemmett might be bristling with sus- picion of an affair he could not quite understand, but Girton did not bristle at all. Not one hour back Stephen had become engaged to the most adorable girl in the entire universe, and when one is in just that state it is rather hard to bristle at intangible things. “T think you’re all off, Ned,” he said quietly enough. ‘TI think Ricoro has a brain-storm of some kind, and _ believes that Guanama is about to monopolize the earth’s tobacco market. What he has actually dg#fe is to form a little group of wealthy men, make up a pool of two millions and a half and—” His voice trailed off. For the third time in a few minutes Hemmett’s little butler was with them. ‘Mr. William Jones!” he announced this time. “Again to see you _ both, senores.”’ “Jones!” Hemmett loudly. ‘‘ What Jones?” “Hush!” Girton said quietly. “ That’s echoed rather comicloool C©