Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 4, 1926 — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

424 23 unimportant, he’d be made to understand that absolutely nothing of the kind could or would be considered. Eventually, James even laughed aloud. Why, that poor old fat boob was the best, and calmest— ‘“ Aha!” cried Frederick Budlong, as he entered suddenly and slammed the door and advanced upon James with four great strides. “ Caught you that time!” ‘“What?” James gasped. And his heart sunk! This man wasn’t just irrational, or tired, or excited; he was , plain crazy! His eyes were hot and glit- tering; his cheeks were red and puffed; standing over James he glowered down, and rasped: ‘What was he doing here?”’ Who?” “ None o’ that! I saw him getting into the elevator. I mean Rockford, and you know I mean Rockford: Why was he here?” “Well, Fred, I— I—” James managed, for it seemed fairly clear that a precious thousand dollars had been wasted, and that, even now, Frederick knew. | Still, as he gazed at James, a cooling surge of reason seemed to sweep into Mr. Budlong’s disturbed brain. His eyes had been boring through and through James; now, just as that unfortunate young man was about to rise and burst into a defense, the eyes ceased boring, and Mr. Budlong’s astonishing tension disappeared! He looked away, and smiled flickeringly! ‘Well, probably you—didn’t!”” he mut- tered quite lucidly. “I thought for a mo- ment that—oh, well. Never mind!”’ Puffing, he straightened up, seeking to compose himself. A certain rage followed James’s weak relief. “Say, do you mind telling me what the devil’s the matter with you?” he cried. “ What is there about Rockford to excite you?” Budlong whisked about to face him. “His business here had nothing to do with me?” he demanded. “Tt—no, nothing!” said James flatly. “Well, that’s all I wanted to know,” - Budlong laughed thickly. “ You see, he— he’s interested in some property I want. badly, and I—I don’t trust him, Jim. That’s ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. all. Don’t mind me. I’m sort of full of twitches!” ‘“So you said,” murmured James, and finally mastered his last fit of trembling. “Anything else on your mind?” } “Only the car, Jim,” said Mr. Budlong, and flashed a swift glance upon him. Young Mr. Cranning’s heart sank far- ther. This was not the placid, genial Fred- erick he had been visualizing. The car still rested heavily upon his mind, and he was in no condition to hear the truth. For some reason—if the present stare of Mr. Bud- long’s meant anything—that car had settled down as the pet obsession of his poor brain. “Get the gear, Jim?” he asked. “Oh, yes,” said James drearily. “Man come for it?” “ Of course.” “ Did he start right back with it?” ‘ Naturally.” “Did he say just what time the job would be done?” ‘“* Um—no, he didn’t.”’ a “But to-day? To-day?” Budlong cried. ‘Didn’t he say to-day?” “Yes!” James said soothingly. time to-day, of course.” Mr. Budlong’s fingers drummed on his chair. He swallowed visibly. “What train are you going up on, Jim?” ‘“Oh, there’s one at three-thirty, I be- lieve.” ‘* Some “Tm going with you!” Mr. Budlong stated. “Why, that’s not necessary!”” James said, with a start. ‘““ Necessary or not, I’m going!”’ “ But I— I may not be able to make that train. I may have to take a later one, and you wouldn’t want to hang around all—”’ “Tl be at the Grand Central at quarter past three, and I’ll wait by the information desk on the upper level until you get there,”’ ticked from Mr. Budlong. ‘“ But I may be able to—to get an earlier train!” James said wildly. ‘Then ’phone me at my office. I’ll wait there until half-past two. For that matter, Tl wait right here.” ‘Oh, but you can’t do that, old man,” Mr. Cranning said hastily. “Im awfully COPMICLOOOKS (E@)