Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 18, 1928 — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

836 For a day or two it had looked to him like inevitable exposure and prompt dis- missal, if not arrest. But through one Emil Dost, a crooked lawyer whom Harvey had met in a card game, he managed to obtain the funds to turn in before inquiries should be made. It was a narrow squeak and, naturally, Harvey was grateful to Dost although he never had known just why he confided in the attorney or why the latter saw fit to help him out. Dost, however, had his own reasons. His judgment as to who might or might not become useful to him in the future had al- ways proved sound. He had a hunch, that was all, How good that hunch was in Har- vey’s case will be seen presently. Had Merle Wenworth himself received the letter which Harvey had intercepted he could scarcely have been more agitated than was Sykes. After business that day, the latter went about with a spinning brain, His mind was a mixture of amazement, resentment that such good fortune should befall his rival, and a vague wonder if he could not, somehow, turn the thing to his own advantage. He was unable to see how this was to be accomplished but he toyed with the idea. He gritted his teeth at the picture of Merle Wentworth, independently rich, mar- ried to Clare Hollis! Damn it! He would tear the blasted letter in pieces; that would delay Merle’s good luck, at least, He would not be in a position to crow over his as- sociates yet awhile. Then, upon the scene stalked the one person to whom Harvey could talk about the matter—the one man who knew that he was out of jail and holding his job by a fluke, as it were. Emil Dost! As luck would have it, the lawyer strolled into the speak-easy restaurant where Har- vey was eating and, seeing the latter, came over to his table. The two exchanged greetings and Sykes said quickly: ‘‘ This is damned queer.” “ What is damned queer?” Dost replied. “You coming in this way when you’re the very person I want to see. I guess I would have looked you up if you hadn’t come along.” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Dost smiled faintly. “‘ Not in a jam again, are you?” he inquired softly. “No jam, But something has happened that has me all excited. It’s got my goat and it’s all wrong.” “Well, spill it,’ Dost told him, noting as he did so, the high color in Harvey’s cheeks, the glitter in his eyes. Already, Dost was taking an interest. In a few words, the other sketched the situation, then looked carefully about and reached into his pocket for the missive. Dost took it eagerly. His small, black eyes skimmed rapidly through its contents. When he had finished he folded the sheet, restored it to the en- velope and handed it back to Harvey with- out a word. But he drew a little harder on his cigar and was troubled to conceal his impatience to hear what Harvey was going to say. From the latter, after an awkward pause: “Well?” ‘Well yourself,” Dost retorted. “‘ Seems to me you have got all worked up over nothing, You don’t fit in the picture as far as I can see.” This was only a feeler, however, Mr. Dost’s nimble brain already was at “ full speed ahead.” But he wanted to learn what was in Harvey’s mind before offering fur- ther comment. “IT suppose not. But, damn it, I ought to fit in the picture, as you put it. That’s a lot of jack, five hundred thousand dollars! I was just wondering if there wasn’t some way of getting in on it. Maybe if I could steer him your way—you look after his in- terests—something like that. Would there be a cut in it for me? See what I mean? Something like that.” Dost glanced shrewdly at his companion. ‘“ Bright boy,” he said. ‘‘ You bet your life there would be a cut in it for you. But, if Wentworth doesn’t mention the thing to you right away, how could you ex- pect to steer him to me?” “In that case, I couldn’t, of course,” Harvey said ruefully. ‘“ But I—oh, hell! Giving this letter to Merle, that is, putting it back where he’ll get it, is just like pass- ing over that much money to him. Gawd, T wish it was mine!” Gomichooks (E@)