Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 148: what you’re looking at

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938 it is a matter of the utmost importance to him and to you. Have him meet you in some lonely place. Make it any place—I don’t care where.” “ And ther’ what?” Radcliffe asked. “You can leave that to us,” Allison said. “Do you contemplate violence?” Rad- cliffe asked. “You'll find out if you don’t call Sea- grave at once,” Allison said. ‘“ Miller is extremely handy with a gun.” Radcliffe looked at Miller. A sardonic smile was wreathing Miller’s lips. Rad- cliffe saw that he stood in the presence of a gang of men who would stop at nothing. Allison was not only a smooth and plausi- ble business buccaneer; he was a thug, and had stooped to a thug’s methods. With cold sweat breaking out on his body Radcliffe rose and went to the tele- phone. ‘There was no sound in the room save his own heavy breathing as he spoke the hotel telephone number into the trans- mitter. _— CHAPTER XIV. “WELL, GENTLEMEN?”’ HILE he waited for Seagrave to be \¢ brought to the telephone in the hotel, Allison cautioned him: “ Get yourself in hand, Radcliffe. You're shaky as hell. Make it plausible to that fellow. You’ve got to go through with this, or we'll make you pay up.” Radcliffe couldn’t get himself in hand, and it was for that reason that what he told Seagrave was convincing. His voice shook, and it held a tense earnestness which made Seagrave understand that there was something in the wind. “ Seaorave,” Radcliffe said, “ Pve got to see you right away. Something that con- cerns you has broken. I can’t tell you over the phone what it is. Can you meet me in the park at the head of Eleventh Street right away?” “ Are you in trouble?” Seagrave asked. ‘Not exactly. Well, I am in a way, at that. But I don’t want you to do anything for me. Not directly, anyhow. Perhaps I can do you a turn.” either of Allison or af Radcliffe. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. There was a brief silence at Seagrave’s end of the wire. “ What’s it got to do with, Radcliffe?” he then asked. “I can’t talk about it over the phone,” Radcliffe repeated. ‘‘ Will you meet me?” “Why can’t you come up to the hotel?” “It’s best for me not to be seen.” “Is it something about our mutual friend?” Radcliffe knew he referred to Allison. “Tt’s about him, and I don’t want him to see me talking to you,” Radcliffe said. “You know they’re after him.” Seagrave supposed Radcliffe was afraid of Allison. Better than Allison, Seagrave knew what a fundamental coward Radcliffe was. Doubtless Radcliffe wanted to turn against Allison, and he was afraid to do it in the open. Well, Seagrave was not afraid, The life he had lived for five years had at least hard- ened him to fear. Apprehension hadn’t bothered him in a Jong time. For days he had had a sense of security. He wasn’t afraid to venture from his snug harbor into open water. “All right,” he said. down.” ‘In a car?” Radcliffe asked. “No; Pll walk. It isn’t far. there?” “TH be en Radcliffe hung up and turned from the “Tl be right You'll be telephone, wiping sweat from his face. ‘“* He says he’ll meet me,” he announced. “TH go right down.” Allison again favored him with his sar- donic grin. “You'll stay right here,” he said. ‘“‘ Mil- ler and Brown will meet Mr. Seagrave. Why, you damn chump, Seagrave would take one look at you and know that some- thing was amiss. You couldn’t go through with the thing. You couldn’t go through with anything.” Radcliffe was disappointed and glad all at once. He was disappointed because he was not going to get away from Allison and his pals, and glad that he didn’t have to confront Seagrave. He was as much afraid of Seagrave now as he was of Al- lison. He knew that Seagrave had hardened CoOmmieooolkkS;c©