Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

828 realize what it means? be utterly disgraced! You and J—we'll Uncle, J’ll give you as much money as you need. I’ve got plenty! I—” He broke out into laughter. “ Have you!” he said. “ Maybe you have. But that doesn’t do me any good when I lose at cards.” “So that’s where the shoe pinches!” It was Lansdell. “ Exactly.” “How much?” Marcia went on. “ But I don’t care how much! I'll never give you reason to say I’m stingy again—or thought- less. Uncle—it’s all wrong! It isn’t decent! Oh, don’t let yourself be influenced like this! Why, it isn't a bit like you!” Now she Was near to tears. Wray nodded. “I suppose I’m to have a sermon,” he said. ‘I'll be damned, eh? Lost, or something like that! Ha! Ha! Ha! Say, that’s comical! Just look at your- self, Marcia. Look at your clothes, for instance. You’ve never thought that I might need a few extra dollars, have you? But here, in the everlasting jungle, among a lot of Dyaks, you’ve got on a dress worth two hundred!” She looked down at herself murmuring. ‘She bought it with her own money,” answered Lansdell. ‘‘ She’s given you a wonderful trip, hasn’t she? Are you going to pay her back by mixing her up in a rob- bery that will be cabled to the end of the earth?” “She didn’t earn her money,” argued Wray. “ Not acent of it! And I’ve tagged along like an upper servant of some kind, and I’m looked on as a man who's bum- ming off his niece! A nice position for a man to be in!” “Why! Why!” What he was saying had so staggered Marcia that she could not collect her thoughts. ‘¢ This girl’s never thought of putting you in an unpleasant position,” asserted Lans- dell. ‘‘ But you’re certainly about to fix yourself in good shape! You'll know what a bad position looks like!” “ You don’t know how I’ve been situated. You've known me just two days.” ‘T know the whole family,” persisted Lansdell. ‘‘ And Marcia’s been judging you ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. by herself. She’d fear to insult you by an offer of pocket-money.” In the dimming light, Wray’s figure was stubbornly tense. ‘' Barker will help me plump up my purse,” he replied. ‘ Barker’s pulled your nose!” Lansdell answered. ‘“ That’s because he wants to use you. He’s been waiting for a chance to get up to Moeara Koli with fifty gun- men. You're the easy mark that’s made it possible. Well, when he and his men have got what they want, do you think theyll divide up with you? Nonsense! You won’t even get away with your life!” ‘“T think so,” said Wray. Lansdell turned to the girl, still stunned, and all but speechless. ‘“‘ Is this man really your uncle?”’ he asked. ‘“My mother’s foster brother,’ she an- swered. Lansdell laughed. “I thought so! Well, that makes my job easier. Wray, you're in wrong. It’s Barker who's done time. I saw him in Singapore jail myself. Wrav, try to see this thing right before it’s too late! You’re not going to Jack money. And we three can keep this all to ourselves.” Wray half turned away, as if uncertain. Then: ‘ No, it’s too late,” he answered. “Tf I hold back—” Barker’s voice could be heard issuing or- ders to the men. He sounded cheerful. Evidently he was indifferent to the fact that none of the others had made an appear- ance. Lansdell lowered his voice. ‘“ We can get away,” he said. ‘ Just you and I and Kwong. We'll put Marcia back into the boat. She can lie flat. We'll be around the turn in five minutes. Wray—’” There was a shake of the head. “ Barker’d fire at us,” he said. ‘‘ No, I can’t back out of it now.” “Then, listen!” From a pocket Lansdell produced a long glass phial, so thin that it was more like a section of a large needle than like a bottle. It was wound with scar- let paper upon which were Chinese charac- ters. ‘I'll give her one of these,” he said. “It ‘ll make her sleep and we can tell Bar- ker that she’s terribly sick.” Now Wray appeared to agree. ‘“‘ Yes,” he said. ‘‘Go ahead. Give the medicine. Conn GIOok