Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 21, 1922 — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

SHELBY’S HEAD-ON CRASH. around to the side and stood there. Pres- ently Shelby heard the sound of an ap- proaching engine. “ We're going to have a special train over to Jamestown,” Simpson said with one of his rare, brief laughs. ‘‘ They’re putting in a new pavement on the only road over there, and you can’t get through with a car. I called up Mack and he arranged to let a switch engine go over there. It’s the first station to the west, you know.” The engine stopped in front of them. A man sprang down and ran up into the de- spatcher’s office. He was back in two min- utes. “Who is Mickey Blair, Silent?” Shelby asked while he was gone. “ He’s a crook who lives over in James- town,” Simpson answered. ‘He runs a second-hand store ostensibly, but he deals in everything almost that the law prohibits a man from dealing in. Sells firearms with- out a permit for one thing.” “You've got to have a permit to buy a gun nowadays, have you?” Shelby asked. “In this State you have,” Simpson an- swered. “It’s a mighty good thing, too. It Il help us to-night, I’m thinking. There’s Dolan with his orders. Come on.” He walked swiftly out to the engine and climbed on board. Shelby followed him. Shelby kept his cap drawn over his eyes. Dolan glanced at him, but appeared not to recognize him. The engine sped over to Jamestown, a distance of ten miles, and went in to clear. “Tl be back just as soon as I can, Dolan,” Simpson said. “ Take your time,”’ Dolan returned cheer- fully. “This won’t be a hard job for me.” They descended from the engine. The lights of Jamestown showed against the sky just ahead of them. As they walked up a road Shelby looked at the shanty hugging the track with its block clear above it. ‘Looks good to you, don’t it?” Simpson asked. “T’d work the clock around for a week just to be back,”’ Shelby answered. “What did Miss Sutherland have to say when you went into her house?” Simpson asked. 85 ‘She wouldn’t say anything,” Shelby an- swered. “You don’t say that very convincingly,” Simpson said. - Shelby had not told Simpson about the typewriter. That, he felt, was the girl’s business. | ‘T’ve kept back just one thing from you, SHent,” he said. ‘‘ Miss Sutherland will probably tell you about it later.” ‘Yes, she’ll tell me a lot when I get ready,” Simpson said. “It doesn’t mats ter.” They came to another police station, al- most a duplicate of the one which Simp: son had visited before. A young, upstand- ing officer stood back of the grating. *“* How’re you, Mr. Simpson?” he said. ‘* Mickey Blair has been up to some devil- ment, I think,” Simpson said. “ Selling firearms without a permit being presented, Can you bring him in?” “Tl bring him,” the officer said. He summoned a policeman. ‘““Go down to Mickey Blair’s shack and bring him in,” he said. ‘“ If he kicks, ar- rest him on suspicion.” The officer left and there was the clang of an auto-patrol outside in a moment. ‘“Come in and sit down,” ‘the officer invited. Shelby followed Simpson into the other room. As he passed through the door the officer fixed him with sharp, blue eyes. He suddenly turned to Simpson. “Why, Simpson,” he said. “ This is the man—”’ “T know it,” Simpson said quietly, ‘* He’s with me. He’s mine.” ‘That part of it is all right,” ‘the officer said. “ But I’ll’just keep an eye on him ‘if you don’t mind.” “TI don’t care what you do,” Simpson said. The officer summoned another policeman. The policeman entered the room. “ This is the man in blue that we’ve been looking for in connection with the Thorn- ton case,” the officer said. ‘‘ Simpson has him in tow. You'll go along. Simpson seems to have a hen on. I don’t want to shoo her off the nest, but you'll not lose sight of this lad.” comicloool C©