Adventure, December 3, 1920 — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

130 Mw “And if you don’t like it, Mr. James Death,” I said grimly, “you just come along and inter- view me about it!” This accomplished, I telephoned for a taxicab from the eorner drug-store, then went up to the attic and got mother and Aunt Nora together. “This house will be empty today,” I said. “Vour bungalow, Aunt Nora, T’ll attend to a_ bit later——” “Craig, you must not!” intervened Aunt Nora in dismay. “I’ve leased it to two very nice young men, an Englishman and his friend, and they’re paying well “Nothing doing,” I cut in firmly. “When my cash gives out and I’m gone, then do as you like. But while I’m on the job with money in my pocket, my women-folks aren’t going to live in an attic and rent rooms. Mother, who’s the man in my room down-stairs?”’ Poor mother went white. “Vou—Craig—he wasn’t there?” “He was not,” I said. “What about him? Is he a big bully?” | “No. He’s a—a little man.” She stopped ‘right there but I saw that she was afraid to say very much. “I—I wish you wouldn’t inter- fere with him——”’ | “Nothing doing,” I said again. “This is my funeral! Now, you two ladies get your jewelry together. We’re going for a ride and you re not coming back for two or three weeks.” “What de you mean?” They stared at me, while I fished more gold from the grip and filled my pockets. They must have thought I’d gone mad until I laughed and explained. , “I’m going to renovate here and you’re going to have a rest, a complete rest. I’m going to ship both of you off to a mountain resort. ria we're going to chase down Post Street in a taxi and buy black silk dresses and lace ‘nighties and things like that—all we can find. Hurry up and pack your jewelry, now; the taxi will be here directly.” My Lord, how they fluttered and protested ‘and how happy they were. Just like two kids, ‘those women. If I had several million dollars I’d like nothing better than to go around poking into other people’s- business and making them happy. Well, in half an hour the three of us drove away, leaving much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth in our wake. I had discovered without asking any direct questions that James Death was an old and wrinkled man, rather small and bent, an invalid. That was all, and I dismissed the matter. * We had an interesting time, working our way ‘along toward Market Street and the ferry. | When we got there, mother and Aunt Nora had each a trunk crammed with all their hearts desired and more. I had ordered paint and _Other things sent to the house, had men coming Adventure to measure for carpets and so forth and was pretty well satisfied. It was four o’clock when I kissed mother and Aunt Nora good-by and saw them aboard a ferry bound for the moun- tains and mineral-waters and rest. Then I started home. Il pera FIVE o’clock saw me at home. Every at bird had flown. The only thing left === in sight was that trunk belonging to James Death, who had evidently not shown up. I brought it up on the porch out of decency, since the nights were fog-thick. I wandered about the house. The kitchen and back rooms had been let as a housekeeping- apartment. They were bare of everything. The realization smote me that I had brought home no grub, and there was not an eating- place in miles. Still, there was a corner grocery some blocks distant, and I need not starve. Then came the recollection of Aunt Nora’s bungalow. Seizing my cap, I shot out of the back door. You must not think that my actions were crazy. Our place was fairly close to the Esplanade, so that most of our lodgers were hangers-on of the cafés and other establish- ments of that section. I did not care for them at all. The thought of Aunt Nora’s neat, pretty little bungalow rented to cabaret people in- furiated me. I must have gone storming along over the sand rather gustily, for as I approached the bungalow with its neat hedge and its large gar- age, aman appeared at the garage door and eyed me, then turned and said something. An- other man joined him and both watched my advent. In tur, I watched them and slowed my steps a bit. Give me the grace of knowing a man when I see one. The red-headed chap who had first observed me I set down for the lesser of the two. The other was a slender fellow who must have topped my six-foot-two by another two inches; he had cropped dark hair, mustache, a face like a knife-blade—keen and virile and chin out—and his eyes told me that he was as good a man as I and perhaps better. I liked his looks at once. None the less, I was here on business. So I came straight up the drive and halted before the two and set forth my errand. “Good evening. My name’s Craig Day. My aunt is the owner of this property. I’ve just come home and I want to know if you gentlemen will vacate at once.” Redhead gaped at me in amazement. The big chap looked rather annoyed. “T fancy there’s some mistake,” he drawled, surveying me with a cool blue eye. “We have leased the property for six months. There’s a Eomicbooks (E@)