Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 3 — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

BING, BANG, BOOM! 4 Spigot resigned. Why, he was the corner- stone—the foundation—of Turner’s power here. It’s got me!” ' After supper, the young men repaired to Bert’s room, for there was an inexhaustible supply of subject matter for their con- versation. Bert’s unexpected release seemed inexplicable. Spigot’s resignation was even more mystifying. They abandoned the - idea of a quarrel between Turner and the prosecutor, for they learned at the supper- table—whose guests spoke of nothing else ‘but of these all-important topics—that Turner had been as surprised as any one else at the news of Spigot’s actions. “Why, I tol’ it to him fust, myself,” said Josh Hartley. “ He like to fell off ’n his cheer right there in his office. Why, when I tol’ him that Spigot had resigned an’ you was out’n jail, Boom, Turner got red an’ white an’ then red again. ‘ My God!’ he says—jest, like that—as if some- buddy had ’a’ hit him one in the face, sud- denlike. An’ then, fust thing you know, ‘he was out’n his office like a.streak o’ greased lightnin’, an’ hittin’ the trail fer the City Hall. I tell you—” “J hear that Spigot’s goin’ to leave town,’’ some one broke in. “ Selectman Diggers, who was one of them that got the resignation, told me. He says that’s why Spigot said he was resignin’. Leavin’ town, he says. Sorter sudden like, it seems to me. Humph! Pass me that plate o’ meat, will you, please?”’ “Well, I never!” said Mrs. Belden, who was the better half of Ezra, the proprietor of the Palace, and who officiated as high priestess at table.“ Well, I jest never, that’s all! Sech goin’s on in this town since you come, Mr. Bing, Bang, Boom! Never a quiet minute no more. Pass Mr. Boom some more o’ them potaters, Mr. Hartley. Reckon they don’t keep a table like this’n at th’ jail, eh, Mr. Boom? Such goin’s on! I never in all my life!” “T don’t know much about this here af- fair,” put in Ezra. “I only know what I heard, that’s all. But Jennie’ Newhouse told me that she seen David Hodge go into Spigot’s office this very afternoon. Of course, I can’t say fer positive, but that’s what she told me. An’ what’s more, she Cg 505 told me that he was there « a long time. Now it seems funny to me how David Hodge should be in that office jest before all these- things happened. He’s a queer critter, David Hodge is, an’ it’s jest such as him who kin do queer things. Of course I don’t know much about—”’ “By gosh!” Mr. Hartley gave the ta- ble a resounding whack with his palm, set- ting the dishes to quivering. ‘“‘ I met David Hodge myself jest afore he went into the city hall. to me? He says: ‘ Hello, Josh;’ an’ I says: ‘Hello,’ and he says: ‘ Heard anythin’ about Attorney Spigot resignin’ from - Office?’ an’ I says: ‘ No, did you?’ an’ he says: ‘ Well, I’m listenin’ hard,’ an’ I says: ‘What do you mean?’ an’ he says: ‘ Jest try an’ listen’ yerself about six o’clock to- night ’"—and with that he walks away. I never thought no more about it then, cause I allus did think the man was clean crazy. But, sure ’nough, come’six o’clock, I heard! Now, what I want to know is, how did he know then?” Later, when Fred and Bert were alone, they discussed this phase of the problem. “T’m inclined to believe there’s some- thing in that story about David,” said Bert. ‘Lord knows what he could do to get me out, or to make Spigot quit, but—”’ Fred laughed the suggestion to scorn. “That’s too ridiculous to think about, Bert. It’s all right for that bunch of mag- pies down-stairs!} but it’s impossible. What influence could David have? As for him telling Hartley about it early in the after- noon, why, he just got the tip before the rest, that’s all. Leave it to David to find out things.” “ But what would he go to see e Spigot for?” argued Bert. ‘“ He’s no friend of his, that I know of.” ) , “Maybe he didn’t,” Fred _ replied. “ Don’t believe everything you hear. They talk to hear themselves talking.” But Bert could not shake off the growing belief that, somehow, David was responsi- ble for his sudden liberty. Long after Fred had departed, he lay abed thinking of the station-master. He recalled every word that had passed between them; he re- viewed the drive that he had taken with ECOMRICG OO An’ do you know what he says Ss Colin