Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 155: what you’re looking at

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

JIM THE WISE, won't go. It’s seventy-five thousand and not one dollar less; cough it up now or we quit.” ‘“T gives you sixty-five thousand,” be- gan the Crab, and just as Tom reached for one of the pocketbooks and Bob for the other, he gave in. “Come, you robbers—a hell of a time I'll have gettin’ rid of a swag like that— seventy-five thousand—come, I’ll get you the money.” The boys started to follow him. ‘‘ No, you wait here,” said the Crab. “You wait here—it’s only right you don’t see where I keep it. I have that right— and I give you the money in five minnits.” ‘We won’t do it, Ikey—we don’t trust you.” This from Bob. ‘“Tt’s because you snitched on Bill the Brute, Ikey,” added Tom, desiring to rub it in as much as possible. The Crab was accustomed to abuse. He shed it as a duck sheds water. ‘‘ You stand in the door then, an’ watch me. But don’t come too close. It’s the combination of my safe I don’t want you to know. I have it in the safe—after to-night understan’ I puts all my money in a safety deposit—no more safes, understan’—it goes in the safe- ty deposit—” “Hurry,” and Bob gave him a shove. ‘“ Blast you and your money. We'll stand here in the door and watch you. No tricks now, or we'll crack you.” Ikey shambled into the pawnshop and went to the safe, and after turning the dial a few times the door opened and his head was hidden from the watchers. Finally his whole body was lost to sight behind the door. Tom gripped Bob’s arm and started as though to say something. Then the pawnbroker’s head appeared and then his body, as he swung the safe door to and came toward them, holding a small bundle crushed against him under his coat. ‘“ I got it,” he whispered. Once more in the back room, with the door closed, Ikey the Crab counted out to them in currency mostly of large dimen- sions, and in gold, the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars. It lay in a heap upon the table. “You count it, Tommy,” said Bob. Tom did so and nodded his head, signifying 10 A 145 the sum was all right, and hid it away in his pockets. Then they handed Ikey the two pocketbooks containing the diamonds. Ikey looked at them again and seemed sat- ised. He placed them in the bag from which he had taken the money and held that against him under his coat preparatory to putting them away in the safe. He seemed anxious for them to go. They started toward the door. ‘“ Re- member, Ike,” said Tom quietly, ‘ some- body or other ‘ll croak you one o’ these fine nights, for snitchin’ on Bill the Brute.” The Crab shuddered and motioned them to be gone. They walked through the shop to the street door, the Crab following. ‘“ Good night,” said the twins, and they were gone. The door closed behind them. They started across the street and walked along leisurely. Bob looked at his watch. They still had an hour before they were to meet Jim the Wise at his hotel. Tom spoke. ‘‘ When I grabbed your arm I thought I heard somebody—somebody besides us three, I mean.” “Where?” said Bob. “ft don’t know. I couldn’t tell where. Maybe I just imagined it, or maybe it was a rat or somethin’.” “Maybe,” answered Bob, and they walked quietly on toward the scene of their appointment. Ikey the Crab locked and bolted the door after the twins left, and then he start- ed across the room to the safe, still hugging his recently acquired possessions against his bosom. He intended to put his purchase in the safe, but he could not resist the temptation to look at the stones again. Ah, how he loved diamonds. Extinguishing the light in the front part of the store, he groped his way into the rear room, closing the door behind him. In the darkness he felt his way to the table and there reached up and switched on the light. the two leather cases on the table and sat down preparatory to examining the contents at his leisure. He thought he heard a step behind him. The blood seemed to chill in his old veins, and he trembled until his teeth clicked oO CORNICLOOKSsCO “Good night,” he croaked. _ He placed.