Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 18, 1928 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

834 ably was because of the latter’s interest in Clare who once had worked for the Wilmot company but had left to better herself. At the same time, it was Sykes with whom he most often went to lunch, at the cafeteria around the corner on William Street. They had not much in common, knew little of one another. Merle was a country lad from Ohio, an orphan. Sykes, he un- derstood, was a city product. But neither had inquired extensively into the other’s an- tecedants. They frequently lunch together, now and then played a game of pool, simply because they worked in the same office and were about of an age. Not an uncommon situa- tion, And, exchanging casual greetings that December morning, neither of them could have any reason for knowing that within forty-eight hours something would happen that would vitally affect both of their lives! Il. At the offices of the Wilmot company, it was the custom to place all mail ad- dressed to individuals in a basket provided for the purpose, which stood on a corner of the reception clerk’s desk. As the various employees arrived, they were wont to ex- amine the contents of this basket and ab- stract such letters as belonged to them. On the morning with which we are con- cerned, Harvey Sykes appeared earlier than usual. For no particular reason; he had simply accomplished the journey from his boarding place in Bay Ridge more swiftly than ordinarily. The reception girl was not at her desk when he walked in, but the mail basket contained a bunch of letters. Harvey ran through these, made a slight grimace as he recognized an envelope from the gents’ furnishing shop which he patron- ized. Then he paused and inspected curi- ously a communication addressed to Merle Wentworth, and forwarded from Temple- ton, Ohio. Its foreign stamp caught his eye; the head of King George. The post mark was Edinburgh. Now what, Harvey wondered, could anybody in Scotland be writing to Wentworth for? ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Always curious, Harvey examined the card on the flap of the envelope: CRAIG, CRAIG & CRAIG Solicitors Prince’s Street, Edinburgh. Funny. Merle never had mentioned hav- ing friends or relatives in that part of the world. Harvey burned to know what the mysterious envelope contained. _ He glanced about. Nobody was in sight and, acting on a sudden impulse, the young man slipped Merle’s letter into his pocket along with the unopened epistle be- longing to himself. He was not quite sure what he meant to do. He had a vague idea of somehow opening the missive, if it could be done without fear of detection, acquainting him- self with the contents and slipping the letter back into the basket next morning. Merle never would know the difference. Anyhow, he’d chance it. Accordingly, he bided his time; waited for an opportunity to carry out his design. He had no scruples about the matter, de- termined that if he damaged the envelope in the course of his operations, he would destroy the whole thing. If it turned out to be something impor- tant, the parties would write again. The letter would be looked upon as Jost, that was all. Twice that morning he spoke to Merle but when the latter approached him at noon, ready to go out for lunch, Harvey said: “ Can’t go this noon. Got an ap- pointment with the dentist.” Whereupon Merle departed alone. Harvey was taking no chances of inter- ruption; he had worked out a plan in ad- vance. Thus, when his colleague had dis- appeared, he made his way to the subway and boarded a northbound train. At Twenty-Eighth Street, he alighted and be- took himself to a small hotel. There, in the seclusion of the writing room, he drew forth Merle’s letter. As it turned out, opening it proved an extremely simple matter. The tapering stock of a pen, inserted beneath the flap and worked gently forward, did the trick. GEomichooks » (E@)