Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

NOTHING BUT MONEY. which was accepted without comment, and securing a waiver of references on the ground that he was stopping at the Masto- don and had no friends in the city. He also laid in a supply of clothing, suitable’ to a wealthy young man living at an ex- ~ pensive hostelry. Harry always had had ideas regarding clothing; ideas which he had hitherto been unable to gratify. Three or four hundred _ dollars were well spent in this direction. Despite all his efforts, however, the money bag remained two-thirds full. It now re- posed in a very good trunk with a special lock, and it didn’t worry him so much. He had read all the papers with minute care. The suicide was dismissed with a few lines, and no bank robbery loomed por- tentously in the headlines. It was about seven in the evening. Harry, in a well-fitting dinner suit, was lolling in a big chair in the lobby, looking rather wist- fully at the throng of pretty women who walked about or parked themselves on the hotel couches and easy chairs awaiting their men. A few of them cast glances at Hilwin which would have meant something to a more experienced lounge lizard. It never occurred to him that any of them could be casually encountered. A youth about his own age, with sharp features and the rather shifty glance of a certain type of New Yorker dropped into the next chair. “Great place to see life,’ he observed, drawing a gold cigarette case from his pocket, lighting a cigarette, and offering the case to Hilwin. “Tt sure is,” replied Harry, whose soli- tary grandeur was getting on his nerves. “Some of these wrens ain’t so magnifi- cent as they look,” added the stranger. ‘‘ Sure thing some of them are on the pick- up. Bet we could grab off a couple if we started to work. “Don’t try it. I live here.” “You live here? How long?” “Oh, three or four days.” “ Pretty steep, isn’t it?” “TY wouldn’t want to stand it indefi- nitely.” “Guess not. bag?” Say, what was in that 191 The bottom fell out-of the world for Hil- win. He had played poker enough to keep a fairly wooden face, but inside he simply curled up. ‘“ Wha-what bag?” he stammered. “Don’t pull that stuff. I was standing right near you on the ferryboat. I saw you walk off with the bag of the guy whe jumped overboard.”’ “Oh!” said Harry. “ That bag.” “Yeh. Thought you’d remember it.” ‘And you think I stole it?” ‘* Saw you grab it, kid.” “Tf you were standing alongside of me you must have heard him make me a pres- ent of it.” “Can't say I did. But I’m not blaming you for walking off with the bag. Would have done it myself if ('d thought of it. What was in it?” ‘“ Nothing but some soiled linen. I threw it away.” ‘ Didn’t even keep the bag?” ‘“No. Why should I? I have plenty of bags and it wasn’t a good one.” “Funny thing for a guy who lives at the Mastodon to do; walk off with that bag,” remarked the inquisitor. ‘“ You didn’t look as though you belonged up here that morn- ing on the ferryboat.” ‘““T don’t see why I should answer these questions,” complained Hilwin with what indignation he could muster. ‘“ You don’t Suppose a man with anything valuable in his possession would have committed sui- cide?” “Not likely. How about pawn tickets? Were there any?” “There were not,” retorted Hilwin em- phatically. ‘‘ Now let’s drop the subject.” ‘You looked to me like one of those twenty-dollar-a-week clerks,”’ continued the unwelcome acquaintance. ‘“ Kind of a quick change for you.” A laughing group stopped in front of the two men at this instant. There were four girls and three men. One of the latter glanced casually at the pair and recognition dawned in his eyes. “Tf it isn’t Harry Hilwin!”’ he exclaimed. “Harry, I haven’t seen you since twenty- one. Look, Bill, it’s old Hilwin, Princeton, ae '7? Qo SEH one! econmiclooolks. conn