Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

730 _ Radcliffe was not there. Seagrave had a notion that what the sergeant had said to him about his private stock had got under his skin. When Allison’s case was called, Allison looked about the room as if he missed his bondsman, But Allison seemed to be at home in court—to know just what to do. He stepped briskly before the judge and plead- ed guilty. The judge regarded him severe- ly. He wanted to know where Allison had got hold of his intoxicants, a feat which the judge seemed to think highly impossible. Allison wished not to tell, though he knew that the judge already knew. ‘The judge frowned and imposed a fine of fifty dollars and costs and thirty days in the workhouse. Allison blanched at the sentence. The judge, however, in consideration of the fact that it was a first offense, remitted the sentence in consideration of payment of the fine. Allison paid the fine with great alacrity. ‘Then he sought out Holmes. “Some of those damned reporters were in there,” he said. ‘“ Can’t you continue to hold this out of the paper?” “T hate to impose restrictions on a more or less free and untrammeled press,” Holmes grinned, “‘ but in this particular case Tl do it.” Allison expressed gratitude, but if he had known the facts he wouldn’t have been erateful. Two blasé gentlemen had been spectators at his brief hearing. They hadn’t seemed much interested in it, but in reality they missed no word of it. Allison had not noticed them in the court room, but he did notice them when they went to the office of the chief of police. That was a tactical error on their part, for they were Federal operatives who were working to land Alli- son in the penitentiary on a charge of using the mails to defraud. They had told Holmes it would be a good idea to keep the news of Allison’s arrest on the lesser charge out of the newspaper, because they thought that if Allison were given sufficient rope he would hang himself. Publication of his arrest might scare off his prospective victims. Allison and Miller went out of the station together. Miller came back. Holmes, Sea- grave and the two Federal men were in the ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. office of the chief of police. When they came out Miller was scuttling down the hall in an effort to escape unobserved. Allison had sent him back to discover whether Holmes and Seagrave had followed the Fed- eral operatives into the chief’s office. But Miller was on the list of the Federal men, and one of them nodded at a third man who had been idling in the hall. He picked up Miller. Seagrave and Holmes went up the street together. “ You’re going to work for the Seagrave company?” Holmes asked. “T can get a job there,” Seagrave an- swered, “‘ but I may want a few days to my- self. This stove idea of mine is coming faster than I expected. I may work it out on my own. Depends on what develops.” “ You think it will be a better thing than Olney’s?” “T don’t know what Olney’s got,” Sea- grave said, “ but this is good, and I know Ee “Well, you know how these things work out,” Holmes said. ‘‘ You may think you’ve got the idea right where you want it and it may back into its hole and stay there for a month before you can prod it out. Why don’t you let me finance the idea?” “It might not work out at all,” Seagrave said. “Tf it did I’d make a stake out of it,” Holmes said. “ I'll go in for a thousand if you'll let me.” Seagrave considered. A thousand dol- lars would leave him free to develop the idea by himself. He wouldn’t have to go into the Seagrave foundry to get his models made. Whatever his invention amounted to, it would be his alone, except for the interest Holmes would have in it. “ That looks legitimate enough,” he said. “ But would you make that offer to a stran- ger?” “ Hardly,” Holmes said dryly, “ but if you mean to ask whether I am offering to back you because I am your friend, Ill say I’m not. The fact that I’m your friend and that I believe in your ability prompts the offer, but I wouldn’t make it for friend- ship’s sake alone. A wouldn’t do you that injustice.” : = ‘com Cc books com