Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 12, 1927 — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

KERRY OF THE AIR MAIL. As it was, he and Hatton had found it expedient to leave a profitable field in Chi- cago. Hatton, with the keenness that is often the running mate of complete lack of conscience, had been tipped off to the situ- ation in the nearly bankrupt Trico Corpo- ration. There had been a reorganization, with Hatton in control. Hatton poured himself another drink. ‘* Well,” he said to Weimar, “ I got some more dope on Sheldon’s new ship. His own son is making a test for speed late next week—they’re pulling it at night to cover everything, and think it’s all secret. But little Phil here got wise.” : “How do you do it?” asked the other admiringly. Hatton grinned. ‘‘ Remember the girl I was helping into the car that afternoon at-the air carnival out in Norton Field?” “T remember. Swell looker. Some broad.”’ “That was no broad,” retorted Hatton. ‘That was Miss Betty Sheldon. Does that mean anything to you?”’ “Phil! It’s not—it’s not—”’ “ The hell it’s not! Miss Betty Sheldon, daughter of old man Sheldon—that’s who it is. She was asking a mechanic some- thing about an engine. He was a kind of a dub. Your old pal here took the liberty to give her a little info on the engine. It’s easy to talk to a dame on her hobby, and { put on the ritz a good deal. I’ve done the same thing with swell dames out at the track—talked horse to women that like to see ’em run. Well, Mason happened along; he had a couple of shops in the carnival. He introduced us, and when she learned who I was she fell hard. I call at the house now.” “T got to hand it to you, Phil. always pulled strong with the ladies.” Hatton did not deny it. He sat there with a fatuous smile on his face. “Tl pull stronger yet,” he predicted— “when this business is over with. Now, see if you can line up this fellow Carson. Go into big dough, if necessary, but be careful. We’ve got to get old Sheldon out of this game. He’s too inventive. I’m afraid of that new ship of his. If Sheldon enters that in the transcontinental race, I You 507 wouldn’t give a dime for our chances. We have got to break his heart—get him out. If we don’t, it means that some one’s bun- gled. And whoever does that answers to me!” ‘““T was reading,” said Weimar, “ that the prize money had been raised to thirty- five thousand dollars.” Hatton snapped his fingers. ‘Thirty-five thousand dollars! Break- fast money! I wouldn’t mind losing that. But the plane that wins—don’t you see? Big orders for the victor plane. The Cor- liss Aero people are holding one of their biggest orders until they see who’s the winner of this race. Now, we got to be on our toes, Weimar. If we make enough dough, that Chicago business can be squared forever. I don’t want that hang- ing over me. I want to get in with a new bunch, be a regular guy.” ‘Sheldon was a pretty big man once,” said Weimar dubiously. “ Might not do to go too fast, Phil. He might have some powerful friends left. I’m not hankering to get the works in this thing.” ‘ Big or little, he’s got to be put out of the game!” Hatton insisted fiercely. “‘ This is war—commercial war. Anything goes. I won’t be stopped. Halsey was a big man too, wasn’t he? Where’s he? In Joliet, ain’t he? Where’s Cruze? In Sing Sing, ain’t he? Where’s Lewis? The dirty rat! In his grave, ain’t he? And where’s Phil ‘Hatton? Right here, ain’t 1? Look pretty well, don’t I? Dressed kinda nifty, ain’t I?” Hatton’s eyes were cruelly bright, and he was lapsing into the argot of his kind. ‘You stick with me, Weimar, and do as I say, and don’t get yellah. If we win that race, we'll put on a big stock-selling plan. But we’ve got to crash that Sheldon ship. There can’t be any suspicion of me. I’m not supposed to be in it at all. In fact, I pull pretty strong with old man Sheldon himself. When he’s out we can make our entries at the last minute. I can even keep friends with him. Get me?” TIT. HAve you ever heard or a busman’s holiday? The expression comes originally COPMICLOOOKS (C@