The Argosy, Vol. 90 No. 1 — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

PETROLEUM PRINCE. Prince looked back to be sure that Una heard and then looked from one to the other of the Harlingoods, as he drawled with what evidently was fatuous vainglory: ‘“‘ There’s nothing a crook don’t find out when he starts to pull off a trick.” For a moment Prince was halted as he observed that a tear or two was trickling down Una’s cheek. But he promptly had other things to think of, for a hubbub en- sued among the Harlingoods, while Jack stood in the doorway in the impersonal attitude of an officer of the law. The father now found his feet and his tongue. He might not be master in his own house and there might be many things he could not do, many things he could not at- tempt, but he still was a citizen and to all intents and purposes the owner of property. It was evident, even to his slow-thinking mind, that the time for masquerading was at anend. He no longer would be required to enact that hideous réle of the butler. He leaped to his feet and came forward shaking his fist. “Tt’s an outrage!”’ he cried, full in the teeth of the marauder. “TI shall see to it that you get the full extent of the law for this.” Fane alone of the Harlingoods was keep- ing her head. She saw Una’s distress and the concern of Prince for her, and she was far from being satisfied. What had the two been talking about? And there was much else to explain. Meanwhile she must know more. | “ How could you find out?” she persisted, to Prince. “You can’t fool a crook, Miss Harlin- good,” he answered with the same bland smile, and Arthur felt like assassinating him, for at one fell blow Prince had de- stroyed all his delicately reared claims to business eminence. ‘ Mrs. Harlingood threw up her hands and shrieked: “ Merciful Almighty! He admits it!” Mr. Harlingood, cumulatively indignant, stormed at the prisoner, crying: ‘“‘T shall see to it personally that you spend the rest of your life in prison for this.” Indeed, no punishment, to his fevered mind, seemed too severe for one who would perpetrate, by conscious design, so dastard- ly a trick. Theft, arson, perhaps even mur- der would not have appeared at that mo- ment so heinous to the overwrought pater- familias whose long outraged masculine in- stincts were now reacting frightfully. Prince, towering above the violent Har- lingood, remarked with a supreme good na- ture that was more tantalizing than could have been any defiance: ‘“ There now, Squire. There’s no call for vou to be violent. Petroleum Prince or Hoffman House Charlie, I’m the same guy you was bowing and scraping to a while back. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.” The father jumped up and down. ‘“T shall see the district attorney in per- son. I shall prosecute,” he raged. ‘“Hush, Squire, calm yourself!” purred the large fellow, holding his coat-sleeves dis- creetly over his handcuffs. “Damme,” cried Mr. Harlingood, almost frothing at the mouth, “if I wouldn’t like to see you in the electric chair!” Turning away in frantic desperation, his fevered glance fell on his son, toward whom he raised his hands. “Arthur!” he cried. ‘ You—you—” and paused, lacking the words to express his indignation at one who had been a party to such a crime. ‘“ Don’t be hard on the boy, father,” said Prince, jovially, “‘ he did it for the best.” This was all but a fatal blow. ‘‘ Welling, take him away!” screamed the proprietor of the mansion. “ Take him away!” and he collapsed into the nearest chair. CHAPTER XXVIII. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY. EEING that Prince evidently had no in- tention of leaving passively, Welling now drew his revolver and advanced on his prisoner, Prince saw the movement and the danger and moved toward the door remark- ing, casually: ‘‘ Never mind, son, I’m coming. Put up your iron. I'll behave.” Jack was impressed by the self-confident oO Comicbooe 133 S CO