Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 150: what you’re looking at

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

620 — below the bank, He could not signal them as they swung in toward him. That bit of action was to be staged too quickly. But he could overstay his time. A minute more inside the bank would mot be noticed by Higgins and his men, but timed as exactly as their plan was, even thirty or twenty seconds too much would permit Vance and Greenway to pass the trap without springing it. A quirk of confidence replaced his un- easiness as he thought of this, ‘They reached the street on which the Common- wealth National stood, and as they drew near the impressively columned building Morrison scanned it intently but could not make out @ watching company policeman or a waiting company car. A tremor of returning tension ran through him. Was everything here as it seemed? Punctually at ten twenty-four ies swung into the curb ten yards.below the — bank entrance, stopped, the guard stepped out, and the car moved on. At the en- trance it stopped again, and Morrison stepped out, the suit case in his left hand. Again the car moved on ten yards above —. -guards or no city detectives. Morrison the entrance and the chauffeur stepped out. This was the regular routine for protection. Morrison waited, glancing up and down the street as always, but looking for traces of Atlas policemen or Atlas cars. Then, finding none, he crossed the sidewalk, his pistol in readiness for a frontal attack and protected at flank and rear by the two out- posts. ; Inside, there were the usual lines of patrons before the tellers’ windows and the usual groups busy over check book and deposit ticket at the writing stands. Mor- rison scanned them, too, but nowhere was there an Atlas man, and that tension within him tightened again. — At the door in the grilled barrier an em- ployee tripped the electric latch and as Morrison stepped through, Furgis, one of the assistant cashiers with whom he usually transacted business, looked up and greeted him pleasantly. Morrison set his suit case on a counter, opened it, and began removy- ing its contents, but looking about sharply 7 the while. ARGOSY- ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Everything: was normal, Not @ man was there who did not belong, not a glance more than usual was being cast in his direction. A feverish something came into that mounting tension. It was ten twenty-eight. Furgis verified the checks, made the proper entries in the passbooks, and replaced these in the suit case. Morrison responded automatically to his remarks, and moved with him to where _ the bundles of currency were stacked ready for packing. Glancing through the barrier, he could see the company car at the opposite curb as usual, in position now to begin the re- turn trip. But there was not another Atlas car or man in sight. Bid Higgins really suspect? ‘There was nothing here to indi- cate that he did. Furgis stowed the packets of currency in the waiting suit case, dropped in the few — wee a Spee, ‘and rece shut the = Quite a tad * he femarked” “Oh, I haven't far to carry it,” Morri- son replied: That feverish tension rose higher and higher. Did he dare after all? It was ten thirty-two. Still no company slipped the carrying strap over his shoulder and wrapped the other about his left wrist. He was aware of what he was doing, but dazedly, as if that feverish tension had blurred everything into far distances. Did he dare? Did he dare? The long minute hand of the clock be- gan moving away from thirty-two toward thirty-three. He eased the carrying strap into position, nodded to Furgis, and turn- ing, walked through the barrier, across the foyer, still filled with its lines of motley patrons, his step unhurried, unwavering, reached the entrance and stopped to look up and down, his right hand as always ‘in his side pocket on the cocked automatic. _ The sluggish stream of traffic was even more sluggish than usual. A motor truck stacked high with lumber was trundling noisily down the street and a small roadster was disappearing in the opposite direction. But below, at the exact predetermined dis- tance, was a big black as ear with ¢urtains drawn. (S©@) comin