Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

194 _“ How dare you break into my room? Put that money back. I'll turn you over to the police,” exclaimed Hilwin in righteous indignation. The burglar put his hand in his pocket and drew out an ugly looking little auto- matic. “Ever see one of these things? If you _ had any sense you’d have bought a couple yourself, with all this jack to guard: Sit down, kid, and make yourself at home. Sit down, I said!” ‘You wouldn’t dare shoot.” “‘Wouldn’t I? Say, for a quarter of what’s here I’d riddle you so full of holes you'd look like a sieve. Don’t kid yourself you're up against anything soft. How much money was there in this bag?” “What you see.” “You must have spent some of it.. Those glad rags. All the clothes in that closet.. Til bet you’re carrying a wad right now. However, there’s nothing small about me. I ain’t going to ask you to make good what you've spent.” “Thank you.” ‘‘ Don’t mention it,” with a graceful wave of the hand carrying the automatic. “‘ Why do. you suppose a guy with all this jack wanted to jump off the ferry? It beats me. You know I almost fell for your story about a couple of dirty shirts being all you found, but I’m one of those careful ginks that likes to check things up. Efficiency, that’s my middle name. So I waited till I saw you folks start for the theater, and then I allowed you an hour to get interested in the play, and then I started to work. I came up here and phoned down to the clerk to send a bellboy up with your key. Figured they might know you at the desk, but that a bellboy wouldn’t. Worked like a charm. It’s a wonder more hotel rooms ain’t robbed, it’s so easy to get into them.” “I’m not interested in your methods,” said Hilwin bitterly. “Aw, be sociable. - Just to show what a good guy I am, I ain’t going to bother to count this. I ain’t going to ask how much you got away with.” “Thanks!” “ But there’s the matter of making my getaway that’s bothering me. All I need ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. | to do is to get out of the hotel without at- tracting any attention, because I’m not wor- rying about you getting the police on my trail. Not you. You're too scared they’ll ask you where you got the money. So all I have to do is to fix you so you won't make any fuss as I exit. Of course, I didn’t expect you back, but I always carry a little bottle of chloroform. I'll just give you enough to put you to sleep for a half an hour or so, and then everything will be OK” The chatty robber was sitting on the bed during this conversation. Hilwin had dropped into a chair about three feet away. The crook was covering him with the auto- matic held in his right hand and he now began. to fumble in his vest pocket for the phial of chloroform. When Hilwin went to Princeton he had played football for four years and one of the best things he did was to punt. So confident was the crook that he was deal- ing with a frightened amateur in violence that he dropped his eyes toward the hand which was feeling in his vest pocket. As he did so Harry’s right foot shot out and his patent Ieathered toe struck the hand holding the revolver with all the power be- hind it of a leg which used to send the pig- skin fifty yards. The automatic flew up and struck the ceiling. There was a shriek of pain from the crook, for the kick had broken some bones in the hand. And then Hilwin fell upon him with the sure grip of a football player. “Ouch, ouch. Let me up. You've broken my hand. Oh, my God, the pain.” | Hilwin rose from his victim and picked up the pistol, which fortunately. had not discharged. “Put that money back in the bag,” he commanded. Sniveling with pain the crook tried to obey orders. Without any compunction Hilwin let him finish the job. He was breathing heavily, more from triumph than from his exertions, and he was wondering what was the next move. ““ Now you listen to me,” he declared to the crook. “ That money belongs to me. (COMNMUGC OO) <Sicoim