Argosy, Vol. 122, No. 1 — page 134: what you’re looking at

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124 “Well, now, you can or you can’t do it? Going in alone?”’ “Tm going in alone. Mind, you trust me absolutely—keep your hands off!” They eyed one another sharply. La Salle nodded. “I agree to that.” “ All right. I'll beat the case. I’m risk- ing a lot to do it, and I’m going to hold you to your word—about future business.” “ That’s understood.” “And it’s going to cost you a fat price.” ‘“‘T don’t care what it costs me.” La Salle steed up with an animation unusual in him. He clenched his fist and gestured with it, and the black eyes burned brightly against his dead-white face. ‘ All I ask is to win,” he exclaimed, and his voice grated with suppressed emotion. ‘“T’ve got to go on, you hear me, on and on! These dogs that are yelping at my heels—that yellow pack—they shall not pull me down! I’ve got bigger things to do, bigger than you ever dreamed of. Barr, if they ever get me it won’t be for any petty larceny like this Saltmarsh business, I tell you that! You get me out of this and damn the expense. Take anything you like—” ‘“T will,” Barr promised with sudden en- thusiasm. “And you can count on your share of the future. Show me that you can win, and you needn’t worry. Show me—” “Yes, I'll get you out of it, Frank. But, oh boy, when you see my bill!” Barr gloat- ed over the idea. His chuckling greed roused his client’s disdain. ‘Your bill’s the least of my worries, ” he promised. Later in the afternoon, metting Gloria by appointment in the quiet seclusion of the Coach-and-Four Teashop, Barr detailed his talk with La Salle. “T’ve got him going at last,” he gloated. “T’ve found his weak spot. Gloria, he’s afraid—afraid of jail!” ‘“And you made him promise to trust you absolutely?” Gloria’s eyes sparkled. ““T see,” she nodded, “I see now. Thurs- ton, you are clever!” Their hands met across the table. ‘Yes, I’m not so bad,” Barr admitted. THE ARGOSY. ‘Of course. How simple!” Gloria be- ‘gan to laugh her tinkling, jangling chime. “ You'll let them convict him—” “Good God—no!”’ Barr drew back, genuinely shocked. The lawyer had a moral code—only the beasts are without one—and_ Gloria’s cheerful assumption of this duplicity really hurt him. “Why, he’s my client!” Barr explained earnestly. “A lawyer’s duty is to serve his client. I promised to get him off, and I will!” = Gloria looked decidedly puzzled. “ Besides,” Barr hurried on, “ what good is he to us if I don’t get him off? No, no, that’s not the idea at all! The point is to get him off—” “ But then, if you—if we—well, if I quit Frank for you, then he’ll be able to raise the very devil with us. Thurston, I can’t see—”’ é ‘Oh, he’ll be sore—sure. He'll rave, probably. I expect that, but he'll come to terms. Don’t, you see, Gloria, I’ve con- vinced him he can’t do without me! Ive shown him he’s got to depend on me. Frank is afraid of one thing—and one thing only —jail. Well, I can keep him out of jail. That’s my hold on him. And no matter how far he goes, how big he gets, there’s always that fear of his to play on. ‘“That’s our grip on him. See? That’s where we keep our hold. Remember I said | we didn’t want to kill any goose that lays golden eggs for us? Well, here’s how we keep Frank in a cage—”’ “Yes, yes! And we harvest the eggs? Oh, Thurston, that’s a splendid notion. Thurston, you are a genuius!” “Yes,” Barr agreed, “I’m not so bad.” CHAPTER XXIV. IMPASSE. NNOUNCEMENT of the trial of Frank La Salle drew a great crowd. The day was a day of rain and tempestuous wind, a miserable, drenching, chilly day, and the wet garments of those who found seats in the court-room sent up a steam that thickened the air already heavy with the cComiclbooks.com