The Black Mask — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

of justice, and—” 20 The Man Who Was Seven lion dollars’ worth to you. And if you'll kindly cut out the cuss words and the condescension, drop the rough stuff and talk like a gentleman as well as a banker, maybe we can do that busi- ness.”” ‘What the devil do you mean? You imptudent—” “Oh, very well!” said Carranaugh, rising to his feet and picking up his hat. “Tf you are going to start that again I'll be on my way and see if Peter B. Far—” One syllable of that “power’s” name was enough, under the recent circtum- ‘stances and Carranaugh’s implied intent, to bring Snedeker to at least an outward semblance of politeness. “Sit. down, Mr. Carranaugh, sit down, I didn’t mean to be hasty—but you don’t know the load of responsi- bility I am carrying, what a strain I’ve been under the past ten days. Sit down and tell me all about what you think you have discovered and I’ll try to re- strain my natural impatience. Between my anxiety and the everlasting promises of ‘tomorrow’ of the score or more men I’ve had working on this case, you should not blame me for being sick of your tribe—I mean of your incom- petent competitors.” “That's all right, Mr. Snedeker, I understand. Only don’t class me with them or try to talk to me as you may to them, I’m apt to be fussy when I’m sworn at. And now, if you will answer my question, I will answer yours.” “What question?” “Do you pay that reward of fifty thousand dollars for the return of the million, or must the thieves be included in the delivery?” “Damn the thieves! That is, of course, you understand—we must do our duty to society, uphold law and order at whatever cost to ourselves, con- sider the public weal and the demands “Then, I understand, the money and | the securities will be enough } o | “Have you negotiated for their re-_ turn—eh—that is, I mean can you de-— liver® them—if | we don’t insist on ap- prehending the— “T can,’ “You can! You mean it? My dear Mr. Carranaugh! what a load you are lifting from my heart! You surely—?” “T surely can.” \ - “All of it?” “Every sou—less the fifty thousand.” “You mean they—?” “No. I mean me. If I turn over the whole thing to you, without a dollar or a bond missing, do I get the fifty thou- sand ?” Snedeker’s eyes narrowed as he gazed straight into Carranaugh’s and Carra- naugh’s eyes were blandly wide open as he gazed back. Snedeker sighed, cleared his throat twice as if something was sticking in his thorax, finally squeezed out: “You do.” “Will you be good enouee to put that on paper?” “Do you doubt my—” “T’m not doubting anything, Merely a matter of form, of business procedure, of—shall we say?—ordinary banking precaution, Mr. Snedeker.” “Can you do it?” ~ “You can lay your hands on that million in less than five minutes after you sign that promise to pay—or you needn’t pay.” Snedeker wrote hastily for a few minutes, made the wholly illegible scrawl that passed for his signature and handed the paper to Carranaugh with an explosive: “There! Now show me!” Carranaugh read the instrument, nodded in satisfaction with its provi- sions, folded and placed it carefully in his wallet and the wallet in his inside You don’t know |