The Argosy, Vol. 90 No. 1 — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

PETROLEUM PRINCE. he turned on Mrs. Harlingood, eying her suggestively. Whether it was a hypnotic effect of his eye or some correlating idea she could never say, but certain it is that Mrs. Harlingood screamed instantly: “* Blackmail! He wants money to keep this out of the papers!” She ran her hands through her hair, in desperation. Her overwrought nerves had broken. “‘ Scoundrel!” cried Mr. Harlingood. Fane instantly removed her earrings, pretty but worthless little things of lapis lazuli. “I’ve nothing but these,” she apologized as she offered them to Prince. He took them with a grimace. “What a terrible man! What perver- sion!’’ continued the mother, frantically searching in her pocket for the small change she kept for marketing, and producing a few coins which she offered him humbly. “This is all I have—truly,” she im- plored. He grabbed them from her. At the same moment Mr. Harlingood fumbled in his waistcoat and produced an old gold timepiece, one that had come to him from his father, and on which the case from much ‘use was as thin as paper. “ Perhaps it’s the easiest way,” he mur- mured, giving a long loving farewell look at his heirloom, as he passed it over to the wondering Prince. Arthur stood moodily in the background. He had nothing to offer, and he would not have offered it if he had, he afterward de- clared. Prince held the pitiful ransom in his broad hand and looked at it, greatly amused. Then he moved to the table and laid them beside the handcuffs: the lapis lazuli earrings, the small change and the gold watch. To complete the swag he re- moved from his pocket the box of safety matches, opened it, took out the ring and spread that alongside the earrings which Fane had given him. As Fane saw this her heart failed her and she sobbed. While Prince was laying out his haul he looked across the table narrowly at Una. He saw there only fright, even horror. ‘This, 139 apparently, was the thing that interested him chiefly, for he now quickly turned his back on her and on the table, again facing the Harlingoods. “ Folks,” said he. “TI allow its pretty mean of me to scare you, but you do me wrong if you think I want your stuff. I never asked for it. There it is, and the ring, too. Take it—” Before he could say more the heavy sound of a quick tread coming up the stairs startled all, and an instant later a uni- formed policeman appeared in the open door. “There was a call from this number,” said the officer, “‘ but nobody responded to my kngck. I saw the outer door open and I came on up. Looks as if I’d found the right place.” He stepped well in and looked meaningly at Prince. “It’s all a mistake, officer,’ amiably re- sponded Prince. “ No trouble here but a little family party, that’s all.” The officer looked about. The appear- ance of the Harlingoods did not indicate ease or happiness. Finally he saw Jack, who stood near the door and thus was the last to catch his eye. In Welling he rec- ognized one whom he had seen at head- quarters the day before. ‘““'What’s up?” he asked. from the D. A.’s office?” “Yes,” said Jack. ‘We thought this fellow looked like Joe Connors, the con man, but he has nothing on him, and Mr. Harlingood here, the owner of the house, has no charge to make, so I don’t see how we can trouble you.” “Connors!” exclaimed the officer, and looked Prince over thoroughly. ‘Sure enough, he does answer the description. He’s too rare a bird to let go. I'll take him with me. The inspector knows Connors well and is waiting down in the wagon. He'll identify the man and spare you the trouble. Come, you!”’ And the officer waved Prince toward the door with his Stick. Prince looked toward Una and saw that despair had succeeded her horror. He turned to the officer to protest, when fur- ther action was arrested by the sound of a “ Aren’t you oO Comicbooe S CO