The Argosy, Vol. 90 No. 1 — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

AT THE BELTON ARMS. Camper, who had been washing his hands at the corner lavatory, was still shaking his head good-naturedly, but as Batak handed him a towel from the cabinet he staggered and leaned against the wall, and his face became fearfully distorted. ‘‘Good Heavens, Amos!” I exclaimed, making to assist him. He motioned Batak and me back and stood erect, panting for breath, and glaring at us wildly. Then he,tottered to his desk and rested his hands on it, and again I expected him to collapse. The face he turned toward us was livid, and he could not yet control his breathing. Batak, quicker of wit than I, sprang to the telephone to summon a doctor; but Camper halted- him with a harsh: “Stop! I—I’ve changed my mind. I'll be all right in a minute. We’ll all go up to Storville for lunch.” I eyed him askance, wondering what chances he was taking in not calling a physician. “IT used to know Storville—when a boy,” he mumbled as he waited for us to precede him through the door. ‘“‘ When I was ten, I went to the Belton Arms with my father —never there since.” “Tf you’d only go home and go to bed—” Batak began, but Camper silenced him with a gesture; saying: ‘Never been there since, and lived so near all these years. New York takes the sentiment out of some of us—sometimes takes the soul out of a man.” He had aged ten years since I entered the office. I’m inclined to boast how the newspaper grind burns the life out of a man, but my activities were jokes compared to the terrific grind of hooking up a nation’s resources inside of two months so as to overcome the neglect of years. And only Amos Camper with his iron will could have turned the trick so successfully, I opine. Even Batak, much younger and very virile, showed the strain of his lesser responsi- bility. During the run up-river Batak and I stealthily studied the chief. I was fearing he would die before we reached Storville. Once arrived there, Dr. Manning could 91 take him into his private sanatorium and patch him up. A storm was brewing, and the dark heavens banked us.in with an un- wholesome half-light which accentuated the pallor of his face. Batak exchanged significant looks with me and pursed his lips dubiously. I tried to rouse my friend with some of my non- sense. Although usually quick to respond, he now refused to hear me, and remained with his chin sunk on his breast, his gaze riveted on the black rack of oily clouds crawling over the eastern horizon. Once he turned and stared at me, but his gaze must have been fixed on some inner picture; for never had a friend looked at me with that expression. The same terrible intensity, bordering on the malignant, was evident when he suddenly turned his eyes on Batak: Dr. Manning was a golf friend of the Sunday editor, and had informed him that he had the material for a good feature story. The sanatorium was a short distance back of the Belton Arms. I proposed they wait for me at the inn, lunch to be served as soon as I had covered the assignment. My purpose in reversing my original plan of lunch first and assignment afterward was to enlist Dr. Manning’s services and bring him back with me to prescribe for Camper. To my consternation, Camper received my proposal with a savage display of heat, and in an ugly tone announced that my “scribbling ”’ could wait till we had eaten. I was shocked. Had any one intimated that Amos Camper could be capable of roughness toward me, I would have ridi- culed the notion. In spite of my realiza- tion that he was a sick man, my face burned at the severity of his speech; and, clucking my tongue to keep my mouth shut, I followed as he led the way to the inn. ‘“ How long has he been as bad as this?”’ I whispered from the corner of my mouth. Batak cautiously glanced ahead at the bowed form and as secretly replied: “Been coming on for some time. Never thought he’d crack so quick, though.” “Tf he would only lay off for a bit,” I sighed. “He must. He has finished his work. We subordinates can do the rest now.” oO MIGdoOok CO CO