Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

724 He lifted his head in an effort to prove that he could at least stand erect, and for the first time he saw Seagrave. A look of malevolence came into his bloodshot eyes. “What in heller you doing here?” he demanded. “IT came with Mr. Holmes,” Seagrave said. ‘““Came to witness my discomfiture, did you?” Allison asked, and a look of pride came into his eyes at his ability to handle the unwieldy word. “Oh, no. Thought I might help.” “Well, that’s all right,” Allison said, and he sagged against the bars as his will ‘to appear sober was overcome by his actual condition. ‘Now, how about bail, Holmes?” he asked. “They'll accept bail just as soon as you can walk out of here.” *“* And that’s now,” Allison said. “T guess I can get you out,’’ Holmes said. “‘ Who’ll sign your bond?” ‘““ Can’t you do it?” “T could, but I won’t,” Holmes said ‘coldly. “I came down here to help you as I would have come to help any one in | distress. You'll have to get another lawyer after to-night.” Allison’s eyes flamed and he turned them on Seagrave. “‘You’ve been talking,” he accused. -~“YVou’ve had it in for me right along. Well, Holmes, suppose you call up Mrs. Seagrave and ask her if she will sign—” Seagrave covered the distance between him and the bars of the cell in one leap. “Vou dirty pup, if you mention her name again ['ll choke you to death the minute you step out of that cell,” Seagrave said in a low voice. ‘‘ You crook, take back that suggestion or Ill do it.” Allison fell back from the bars in the face of Seagrave’s white fury. He had a sudden sober moment in which he realized that Radcliffe had been mistaken in his es- timate of Seagrave. Allison knew men in a crude sort of way, and he realized that this man was not the weakling Radcliffe had pictured him as being. This anger was the flaming, white anger of a strong man. “JT was merely making a suggestion to my counsel,” he said. r ‘grave ground out. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “Take it back,” Seagrave grated. “Oh, I take it back,” Allison said. was just joking.” ‘“ That’s worse than if you had been in earnest, if such a thing were possible,” Sea- “T’ll pay you for this, Allison. I’m on your trail and—” Holmes laid a hand on his arm and drew him back. “ Shall I call Radcliffe?” he asked Alli- son. “Yes, and tell him to hustle down here,” Allison said. They went back to the outer room and Holmes got Radcliffe on the telephone. “ Radcliffe is rather annoyed,” Holmes said as he left the telephone booth. “ If Allison is all the things Radcliffe muttered about him, he’s bad.” “T’m going to beat him up the minute he leaves that cell,” Seagrave stated. “ And be arrested yourself,”’ Holmes said. * Ruth wouldn’t like that.” Seagrave relaxed. “Oh, all right,” he said, “but I’ll get that fellow. I’m going right after him.” “I wouldn’t announce it if I were you,” Holmes said. Seagrave turned away and walked up and down the room. He did not regret the passion which had flowed through him. He hadn’t had an attack like that in a long time. He found it a cleansing thing. It seemed to have burned up through him and to have destroyed something weak in him, the rubbish that had been in his soul from the past. He had a notion that Ruth, in spite of her poise and her self-confidence, needed a man to protect her. There was a good deal of unreality, a good deal of nonsense, in the whole situation as he viewed it. He was promulgating no uni- versal creed. He was merely saying to himself that -his wife’s place was in the home where she would be safe. Radcliffe hastened into the station in a few minutes, his face as black as thunder. “'Where’s Allison?” he demanded of Holmes. Holmes turned to the officer. “Mr. Radcliffe is prepared to sign Mr. Allison’s bond,” he said. “ Will that be satisfactory?” eT Gomichookszeo