Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 4, 1926 — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

AZZ dozen people who wished him to invest in new companies. He knew the technique. He shook his head firmly, eying Mr. Rock- ford. “ Not interested!” he said. “You don’t know yet whether you are, or are not,” suggested the caller. “Oh, yes, I do. My funds are all tied up.” ‘Even so,” said Rockford, “ one always has a dollar or two for a really good thing, eh?” ‘Somebody else, maybe. Not this body. And I’m sorry, Rockford, but I’m pretty busy this afternoon,” said James, and half- rose. Mr. Rockford merely smiled again. ‘“‘ Might it not be wiser to hear this prop- osition?”’ ‘Wiser? What does that mean?” “Gracious! Don’t bristle so!” yawned Mr. Rockford. ‘‘ Er—quite a burglar scare we had out home, early Sunday morning, wasn’t it?” “JT heard of it,” briefly. “T know that. I went into Budlong’s with some of the fellows, to look around, you know. I—ah, it’s hanging over there, isn’t it? The hat I saw under the table in Budlong’s entry, I mean.” “ Hey?” escaped from James. “ Don’t shout, old man. You haven’t a thing to shout about. I was pretty sure of that hat, because you’ve been wearing it ever since I came to town; but I dropped my own, so as to have a look at the initials in yours. They were there—J. C. “And then, later, I tried to open that closet in the upstairs hall, and I couldn’t, because you were locked in with the key inside!”’ He looked straight at James, and shook his head. ‘“ Cranning, I’m ashamed of you! In a little community like that, all home folks, all nice people—tut, tut! I might even say, fie!” : Young Mr. Cranning gripped the arms of his chair, and did his level best to look like an infuriated, innocent man about to wreak vengeance on a filthy liar. He must have failed, for Rockford only laughed softly and delightedly. “T should have gone to Budlong and told Mr. Cranning - said ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. him! It was the duty of one straight, square man to another. Indeed, I should have made the whole thing public on the spot, because in a little place like that it’s always better to run out the few undesir- ables, Cranning, and—what were we talk- ing of? Oh, yes, my little company, of course. Old man, there’s an investment that’s bound to benefit you! I’m letting in a select few on the ground floor. Tm ac- cepting subscriptions now. That’s why I dropped in!” | “ All—right!” James forced out. ‘‘ How much?” “ The—er—minimum subscription, you mean, Cranning?”’ “Yes, damn you!” Mr. Rockford merely raised his brows, and smiled. James mastered the quick im- pulse to leap upon him; later in life, he might well devote a glorious half hour to beating Mr. Rockford into pulp; just now, since he could endure no more varieties of trouble, it was his pretty task to buy Rock- ford’s silence. Well, he’d been right about the man be-. ing a crook, anyway! Now Mr. Rockford would demand, at the very least, one hun- dred dollars, and more likely two hundred. If he was a particularly assured crook, he might even try to get five hundred—yes, and he might succeed, too, and if he did James Cranning would stand face to face with the task of raising more money, where no money existed, before going for the car, and— “Why damn me for offering you a fine, clean business proposition?” Rockford asked quietly, and looked him straight in the eye. “ I’ll—er—let you off easy, if you feel that you must look at the thing in that way.” ‘““ Well?” James said not quite so tensely, “How much, then?” “You skip down to your bank, Cran- ning, and get me this in cash, because I’m not accepting checks,” the caller said brisk- ly. ‘ Get me a thousand dollars!” “Get you what?” Mr. Cranning gasped. “One thousand berries, my lad,” re- peated Rockford with a smile of strange im- placability. ‘“ And thank your lucky stars that you’re dealing with a man who has (E(0) oNOOLKS ANIC (E@