Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

796 “You know damn well why.” Freyne had closed the door, and turned to stare at his visitor who stood with his hands still in the pockets of his coat. He laughed. “ You make me think of a lot of reasons. But as long as you’re here suppose you tell me what it’s all about.” Lathrop hadn’t moved, and his voice was quiet. ‘“ I’ve come up here to kill you,” he said. Freyne wore the irresolute smile of a man listening to a foreign language. “‘ Well, that’s nice of you. When do we begin?” ‘‘ Sit down over there.” Lathrop pointed to a chair. His expression had the im- passive, stubborn fixity which at times lends strength even to a weak face. His eyes, showing the whites underneath, had an almost hypnotic authority. ‘“What’s the matter with you?” Freyne asked. Lathrop took an automatic pistol from his pocket and fingered the hammer. “ Sit down.” This time Freyne laughed more naturally. “ Good Lord.” He turned his back on the man with the gun, walked to the table in the center of the room, and lit a cigarette. “ Vou’ve got all the technique,” he said. ““T’ve always wondered what a stick-up looked like, but I never picked you for the part. What do we do now?” Lathrop laid the pistol on the palm of his left hand. ‘ You sit over there and Tll take the useless trouble to explain to you. It’s very hard to handle an automatic with these gloves on when you walk around like that.” ‘« All right. dropped into the chair. the shootin’ for?” An elevated train roared its way up Third Avenue, and Lathrop waited till it had passed. Then he said slowly, “ You're a swine and a skunk and a yellow pup. The only drawback to killing you is that some human being would probably have to. die, too. I’m going to take a chance.” Freyne sank deeper in the chair and stretched out his legs. ‘“ That gun is cer- tainly a help to your vocabulary,” he said. “ Put it away and hang up your coat, and T'll beat your head off.” T’ll sit down,” and Freyne “Now, what’s all ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “No, thanks,” said Lathrop. “ You get no more chance than any other rat.” ‘‘ Well then,” Freyne rejoined, “ leaving “ out the word pictures for a minute, will you tell me what’s eating you?” ‘Do you need telling?” “J’d hate to think you were pulling all this Grand Guignol stuff just because you were sore about some dame. If it’s that— Jean Avery that’s on your mind, I'll tell you right now—” : With a move of the pistol Lathrop stopped him. ‘“ As long as you know, that’s enough. We'll get this over with. Have you got a pencil and paper?” ‘* Just a minute,” Freyne interrupted. “ If you've got a little Sunday afternoon shoot- ing planned out here, let’s do it right. I believe the customary procedure is to allow the victim time to explain and repent.” “You can’t explain anything.” “JT can’t if you wave that Roman candle around in front of me,” Freyne said. “ At least go somewhere where I can’t see you.” Lathrop didn’t move. ‘I don’t want to hear you,” he said. “I hate the sound of your voice.” Freyne was watching him as carefully as a batter watches the man in the box. “Tf you don’t like it,” he said, “‘ go on, cut loose with your barrage. You called me yellow a minute ago. I’m not afraid of any bird who has to go around chaper- oned with a machine gun.” “You’re brave enough to fight fair,” Lathrop said, “but you’re too yellow to live fair. You take a young girl who’s fool enough to fall for your snake’s eyes and this bunk of yours—” “You mean I take her away from you.” “Shut up. Do you know where she is now?” “No, and I don’t give a damn.” Freyne had gradually drawn his feet back under the chair. “ That’s what I want to tell you about.” Slowly, as if to point his re- marks, he crouched forward. Lathrop raised the pistol. | “Sit still,” he ordered. “I know where she is, and how she got there. That’s why I’m here.” Freyne sat back again.. After a moment he asked a “Do you really think Sse comicboo oe ea A ee” Si a - (C6)