Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 11, 1925 — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

and pushed the bell button. Zeb watched him. THE CALL OF SHINING STEEL, 293 yet he was torn between the two conflict- ing emotions that milled and_ twisted through him. Inside a half hour after Sixteen left, he was back at the hospital, sitting beside Jim’s bed, watching him as he struggled back to consciousness. A flutter of his eyelids, ‘a movement of his hands, a turn- ing of his bandaged head nervously from side to side and Jim moved like a man coming back to life. Then with a con- vulsive heave, he sat up and gazed around wildly, Zeb spoke: “ Jim, how do you feel, old man?”’ Jim turned a blank face on him and grasping the head of the bed in his hands, pulled himself upright. There was delirium in his eyes, madness in his voice when he shouted: “ Get out, all of you, get out! No more boozing in here! Yes, I drink, but I’m through, and you guys can’t touch it in my place!” His shout rang through the hospital: “Tm through, ’m through!” There came the patter of hurrying feet in the hallway. Miss Annie entered the room. “There, there, Jim, take it easy. Don’t shout so. You disturb every one.” “ But I tell you I’m through. I’ve taken my last drink!” Jim yelled. ‘“ Great God, woman! Can’t you hear me? I’m off the booze.” | Both Zeb and the nurse tried to quiet him, but their efforts were useless. It was not till Jim had been given an hypodermic that he was stilled, and finally relaxed into a fitful state of coma. Zeb sat, torn by sympathy, watching Jim for an hour till the effects of the drug slowly wore off. When Jim reawakened, he was sane, and noticing Zeb, his eyes lighted up. “ Hello, Zeb, old timer,”’ he greeted. _He felt up to his bandaged head and grinned wanly. ‘ That was the only fight I’ve tried to stop, and see what happened to me.” He wet his lips. ‘“ God, my tongue feels like some one has been using it for a foot mat. Whew, but I’m dry.” He reached up In silence, In a few minutes Miss Annie entered. Jim glanced up at her and smiled in recog- nition. ‘‘ Well, well, if it ain’t my old friend Annie Laurie.” He laughed: ‘ Annie, so you're still here?” “Yes, still here, Mr. Brown.” “Been here a long time, haven’t you?” “Yes,” she replied proudly. ‘ Seven years now.” “Well,” considered Jim. Then with a grin: ‘“‘ I’ve only been here a short while. You're better acquainted than I am. Skip out and see if you can rustle up a regular drink for me.” “Why, Mr. Brown, ” she exclaimed shocked, “‘ I’m ashamed of you! Not over an hour ago you swore you were through drinking for good and now you are are for one.” Jim looked’ around at Zeb for confirma- tion of her words. Zeb nodded his head, “You sure said that thing, Jim.” ‘““I must have been crazy when I said that,” he said ruefully. “But I’m not crazy now, and it goes, I guess I’ve about got old enough to graduate from the rum hound class.” He reached out his Hands. one. “You, too, Miss Annie,” and Jim, hold- ing to their hands, repeated his promise. “I’m of it for life. ‘ Good-by, booze, for- ever more.’ My boozing days are done and o’er,” he sang. Outside of the day when Itchy-Witchy had promised to marry him, Zeb had never heard words that he thrilled at as he did at those. The one bad habit that was get- ting his friend was a thing of the past, for Jim’s word was good. He glanced at the nurse and the look in her face puzzled him for a second. Then he recognized it. He had seen that expres- sion before in other women’s faces. Itchy- Witchy had it when she looked at him. He had noticed it in his mother’s. At times he had seen it in Sidewheeler’s face when he had mentioned Jim’s name to her. Now he knew that Miss. Annie had the same feel- ing as the other women. She was much more interested in Jim than even Jim realized. _ She colored, walked out of the room and Zeb grasped ho Ral tah) eee 5 bank) te Satin hel ? ‘ ¥ . > r y , Pt » Dvr te) : a aw - : ; 3 Bg ba th > 3h y pa) be olde .s Se adi 4 ST eS MME SR Pe ere Ee, ap A WOnTS REG QAiia 1 MOEA AP ENN. Peanut Pale TT Pe Eomicbooks.com — pits ae Fey a, POAT eee! a : sa