Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

650 might at that, but we ain’t taking their word for anything much this evenin’. You wait till Cap Salles gets back.” Harmon’s exasperation reached the boil- ing stage at a bound. He was sadly dis- appointed and not a little disturbed. Plain- ly something had happened in this city, quite outside his knowledge, but—it didn’t natter. He didn’t care a snap of his fingers for what had happened except that by some inconceivable freak of chance he had been drawn into the case. Only—he didn’t in- tend to stay in, and what really interested him now was convincing these muddleheads of something concerning which they seem- ingly did not wish to be convinced. He could even understand that. He could un- derstand why they would much prefer to have him Blumefeldt than the man he really was. But he had no least intention of becoming a victim to save the official face. He glared about him scowling. The unmitigated asses—the numskulls! They made him sick. All at once his rage, his disgust of their ‘indifference to either his feelings or conven- ience, cried aloud for expression. A nice way this was to treat a stranger in their city. He had given them an alternative means of proving his identity and instead of accepting it, of putting it to the test, they had brushed it aside. Their course waked every vestige of resentful antagonism in his breast. “And I suppose I can rot in your filthy jail until Salles comes back and tells you yowre a thick-headed bunch of fools!” he declared and knew he had made a mistake, Because the words were no more than off his lips before the changing expression of the men to whom they were addressed showed that his was not the only resent- ment now aroused. “Vou’re a damned good guesser,”’ the sergeant retorted scowling. ‘‘ All right, Bill. Take him back.” Yes, Eddie knew he had overshot the mark, had turned reasonable doubt as to his identity into a personal animosity by his ill-timed and hot-headed fling. But the realization only made firmer his resolve to - fight, to stand on the inalienable rights of his citizenship and demand the privileges it ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, granted, to win back his liberty so unjustly interrupted. “One moment,” he said as Jenkins started toward him. “ Can I get an attorney in this burg?” “You don’t need one yet, and when you do, we'll get one for you,” the sergeant ad- vised him gruffly. ‘ All right, Jenkins—” And Eddie rather lost his head. ‘“ You keep off of me, Jenkins!” he roared and turned on the speaker. You'll put some half-baked saphead that needs the experience, in to defend me, I suppose? Well, not if I know it. Ivea right to a lawyer and I’ve a right to pick him myself as long as I’ve money to pay him, And I have. You get me a directory or something and let me make my own selection now. I’m a stranger in this town, but I'll back my own choice of the sort of lawyer I want a long way over yours.” For a moment after he brought his de- mand to a somewhat gasping finish, nobody uttered a sound, and then the sergeant shrugged. Turning to a desk in one corner — of the room, he produced a heavy book and extended it to Harmon. “ All right, keep your shirt on,” he ad- monished, Eddie caught the proffered volume from his hand. He opened it, turned to the list of classified names, found “ Attorneys ” with very little trouble and ran a searching finger down the page. “M. C. Elton.” The words leaped at him out of leaded type. His finger paused. ‘“‘ M. C. Elton.” He stood there staring at it and breathing rather hard. He hardly knew why this name attracted him more than a hundred others, unless perhaps the double leading spoke of a business acumen, to his imagina- tion—suggested a person of progressive in- stincts—one who had accepted at its full value the oft-repeated assertion that it pays to advertise. But regardless of any thought- out reason, he made up his mind. “ Here,” he said, “ you telephone M. C. Elton and ask him to see me at once. Tell him I’m ready to pay him anything within reason, and be sure to get him because if you don’t, once I do get out and connect with a man who knows his business, I'll a Comcbooks “You'll get one? - (C@