Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 16, 1921 — page 150: what you’re looking at

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

ASSISTED BY AMIABLE AMOS. “Right. I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of hearing yours—” “¢ Stanley Ray?” “ Right again.” Dooling consulted a eiinided slip of pa-— per. ‘Own motor vehicle bearing license plates 198-845?” “Wonderful guesser!” “ Then you’re pinched, Mr. Stanley Ray —under arrest for leaving your machine parked on the wrong side of the street in Long Island City from the hours of 3.15 P.M. to 5.25 P.M. yesterday, to wit: No- vember 11, 1920. You'll have to come along with me and tell it to the judge.” “ And still you haven’t said who you are.” “Name’s Dooling, special deputy for the Long Island Citizens’ Association. Deputy sheriff, too. Here’s my badge; see?” Ray’s face underwent a slight change, like the first thickening of ice over a pond. His voice grated unpleasantly. He said: “Your name may be Dooling; and you may be all the other things you say, but I can tell you some more things you are, Dooling. You are Mr. Dooling, of Birds’s International Detective Agency, and you were sent here to get me into trouble, weren’t you? One excuse was good as an- other, so long as you put me under arrest, eh?” ~ “T don’t know nothing about that,” Dooling answered, growing redder. “ All I know is—” “ But I know! I know even who hired Birds to send you around here to make me trouble. I know what I’m wanted for, Dooling, and it isn’t parking my car on the wrong side of the street either! Now, suppose we talk business?” Ray drew a wallet from his pocket and slowly unfolded a_ yellow-backed bill. Dooling’s eyes went to the bill and re- ‘mained glued there. Watching his face, Ray slowly added another bill to the first, then a third. His raised eyebrows asked a question. At the question Dooling came out of his trance. “ Nothing doin’,” he growled. my orders. Put up your jack—” “T got sneered. 141 ‘Look, Dooling, five of °em—five pretty yellow-backs. Eh?” ‘Naw! I’m gettin’ paid by the agency —I mean by the Citizens’ Association. I don’t know what they want you for, and I don’t care. My orders is to take you be- fore a judge and make my complaint, and you got to come. Put that poise away; you can’t buy me!” Ray rose and crossed to the dresser. “Come away from that!” Dooling ad- vanced threateningly. One hand was in his coat-pocket, and the pocket bulged with something more deadly than fist. “All I want’s a clean handkerchief be- fore I go—” , - “ Allow me!” Dooling jerked open the drawer, rummaged skilfully, and drew out a pistol. ‘‘ Pretty handkerchief,” he ““ Guess I’d better charge a Sul- livan law violation, too!” “Youre a smart chap, Dooling,” Ray smiled, losing gracefully. : “Smart enough for you, young fellow. Now you might’s well be reasonable and come along with me. You got to come, you know, and I don’t want to have to cuff you or anythin’—” “Well, you’re not in any hurry, are you? You don’t mind if I finish this letter and mail it as we go?” ‘* All the time you want, kid!” Ray smiled and said, “I thought so.” He handed Dooling a cigar and sat again at his desk. Amiable Amos came reluctantly from behind a couch, made a wide circle around Dooling in a manner that was a neatly pointed insult, and perched himself close beside Stanley Ray’s elbow. Ray wrote rapidly, and Amos, fascinated by his busy fingers, stretched forth a paw and tapped his pen. Ray smiled. He addressed an envelope at length, sealed his letter in it, and handed it to the red-faced detective. “You mail it,” he suggested. clears me of any suspicion, you see.” In his overcoat and hat, Ray signified his readiness to accompany his companion, but at the door he stopped. ‘“* Mind if I put out the cat? - Might be gone a long time, you know, Dooling—” ce It COmicloool< (C@