Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

WHERE cause, for the hundredth time, I never saw her before to-day. If you refer to my per- sonal acts on that day—yes! I will look up the matter overnight and tell you precisely where I was and what I did on January ninth, nineteen twenty. Satisfactory?” “Tn a qualified way, Berford,”’ sighed Mr. Craven, since the rest of them were nodding quick assent to this, ‘‘ Shall we meet at four o’clock to-morrow, in this room?” They agreed to that, too, Mr. Craven Jaid one of his claws on the young woman’s arm. “And you will be here, too!” he stated. “ Have no fear of that. I shall be here!” the girl said, with another angry flash at our president. ‘May I go now? I—I can’t stand any more of this!” Craven stepped aside with a bow. Mr. Berford bounced out of his chair. ‘“ Wait a minute!” he cried energetically. “ You’re not going to pop in here and start a riot, whatever your reasons may have been—and then escape. I wish to see you in my office, miss!” “Oh, no, you don’t! Wo, you don’t!” Craven cried, almost wildly, and simply ihrew himself on Mr. Berford. ‘“ If—if— if you’re to be exonerated, it shall not be because of private threats and coercion of this gir] and—stand still, sir!” Frankly, if I had been the boss, I think I should have taken that old vulture by the neck and sent him spinning into the corner. But Mr. Berford isn’t like that. He’s as gentle and decent as they come and a child or a woman or an old man can take any sort of liberties without fear of a thrashing. So instead of giving Craven what he de- served, he. stood there with his teeth grit- ting and watched the girl walk out as swiftly and gracefully as you please, and disappear, — | For a minute or so there was a funny Iit- ile lull, while Mr. Bennett got up and hur- ried to the president. “ Now, my dear boy, don’t ]ook so con- cerned!” he cried. “ Don’t take the thing so—er—seriously!”’ “ Because,” Macpherson sighed, “ to give the devil his due, you know, we were all of us young at some time or other, and “WAS IT? —and she’s a very, very attractive lass, Thomas. I will say that!” sear ‘IT don’t find her so!” Mr. Berford laughed, bitterly and rather dazedly. ‘There evidently was a time when you did!” Mr. Craven submitted. “There—” the boss began, and then shrugged his shoulders. ‘‘ Oh, what’s the use of letting you stir me up? Gentlemen, I’ve been accused of something or other, I take it. Just what it may be, I’ve no idea. Have any of you?” There was a silence so dead and heavy that it startled Mr. Berford, I think, Jones sighed and pursed his lips. : ‘“ Most likely not, Tom. But it’s not im- possible to do a bit of guessing!” The boss controlled himself. ‘Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he said tartly. ‘‘ Shall we consider this meet- ing adjourned until four o’clock to-morrow afternoon? And may I say good afternoon to you all? Come, Henry!” He started for the door and I started after him; and Mr. Moreland, who had been drumming with his fingers this last minute and looking as if his last stick of | candy had dropped down the well, spoke up suddenly: “ Hold on there a minute, Tom! There’s one phase of this we haven’t taken into account!” “Ts that possible?” muttered the presi- dent. ‘“ When this little-—well, whatever it may prove to be—when this leaks out, Tom, hell’s going to begin popping for this com- pany!” “ Piffle!” said the president, contemptu- ously, “Tt’s nothing of the kind!” Moreland shouted savagely. ‘You're blind, of course; any man in love is blind. Likely enough, you have the delusion that old George Storm’s a maligned angel, Tom, be- cause he’s his daughter’s father. But we knew him before you were born, and once one word of this mess gets to his ears, he’ll move heaven-and earth to smash this firm, just out of pure vindictiveness!” is Several cheeks paled a little. Even Mr. Berford went somewhat whiter, although possibly not for quite. the . same reas.