Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

OUT OF THE WORLD FOR A WHILE. Miller say cynically. “Damn it, you do lose your head sometimes.” * Shut up,” said Allison. to die?” “Let me see,” Horton said. “ You fel- lows are in a panic.” ‘ Somebody look out the window and see if any one is in the street,”’ Allison said. “We may have to blow in a hurry.” There was the sound of some one moving across the room. Then Miller said: “It’s as quiet as a graveyard down there.” “ Keep your ears open,” Allison ordered. “The people below us heard the racket if they were at home. They may phone to the police.” : ‘““ Oh, I guess there have been rackets in this joint before,” Miller said. “ How is he, Horton?” Allison asked. “Oh, he’ll be all right, beyond a sore head,”’ Horton reported. ‘He had been exploring the wound on Seagrave’s head with his long, forger’s fin- gers, and had felt the pulse, too. *‘ His heart seems to be pumping right along, though sort of heavy,’ Horton went on. ‘I can’t see that his skull is frac- tured. I tried not to fracture it. 1 didn’t put all I had in the blow. Somebody pour some liquor into him. When he wakes up and finds he’s had a drink maybe he’ll think the law of compensation is at work.” Seagrave heard Miller laugh and there was a gurele as whisky was poured from the bottle into a glass. Seagrave somehow got to a sitting position. He could scarcely see, and when he tried to speak his stiff lips refused to form the words. However, he was just able to strike out at the glass which Miller was carrying toward his lips. It fell from Miller’s hand. “You pup,” Miller said, and he made a menacing gesture. “ Stop it,” Allison ordered. “ We’ve got to move lively. No time for monkeying now. Watch him, Horton.” Brown had got to his feet and he wavered over toward Seagrave. “ 71] he choked in a blaze of wrath. “No, you won’t,” Allison interposed. “Keep still, alt of you. Radcliffe, come here.” “Is he going 941 Radcliffe came over to them. His face was like chalk. His eyes were as a dead man’s, “Shoot a drink into you and get on your feet,” Allison ordered. “I’ve got another job for you.” Radcliffe’s shaking hand spilled the drink as he carried it to his lips, but it steadied him when he had.got it down. “Call up Mrs. Seagrave,” Allison or- dered. ‘“ Tell her that Seagrave has been hurt. Tell her to come to the park and you will meet her and bring her to where Seagrave is. Get hold of yourself again and hurry.” “She won’t come to meet Seagrave,” Radcliffe said. ‘ What does she care about him?” “Oh, you fool!” Allison raged. “She has never stopped caring about him. “Haven't I talked to her? Don’t I know the signs? She’d give her life to help him.” Seagrave, lying back on the davenport, felt a warm thrill go through him. It gave him strength. He would have to fight on. He would have to prevent Ruth’s falling into the hands of these ruffians. “Tl do the best I can,” Radcliffe said. He went to the telephone and called Ruth’s number. Seagrave waited till he heard Radcliffe say: “ Mrs. Seagrave?” Then he shouted “ Ruth—” He had in- tended to follow that up with another shout = “Don’t come!” in the hope that his voice would carry through the transmitter. But Miller, standing above him, clapped his hand over his mouth. Brown and Horton seized his hands. Seagrave moved his head from side to side in an effort to escape Mil- ler’s clutch, but he had not the strength. He heard Radcliffe click the receiver on the hook. ‘““ She says she'll go right down there,” Radchife said. Any emotion which Seagrave might have felt because cof the blind devotion for him which the woman he loved was displaying was crowded out by the cold terror that gripped him at the thought of Ruth’s fail- ing into the hands of these men. He began to struggle again, harder than before. He opened his eyes and, though his sight was still blurred, he saw that Miller (CO) Ccomicoooks