Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 18, 1928 — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

THE PERFECT SCHEME. with the prize if he, Harvey, knew anything about human nature. No! His rival would not get that plum yet awhile, if it could be prevented by hook or crook. He wondered what Dost would have to say about the matter. If there seemed no chance to turn their knowledge to ad- vantage, he would rather tear up the letter, watch for subsequent communications and serve them the same way, than let Merle find out at this stage of the game! After awhile the estate would pass into the hands of the public administrator, in which case it was doubtful if Wentworth ever would hear any more about it. Somehow, Harvey stumbled through his day’s work, too excited to know where he was at most of the time. Come five thirty, he presented himself at the small, gloomy office of Emil Dost in William Street. Dost, he found, was tremendously ex- cited about something, and Harvey almost winced under the searching look which the other cast upon him as they exchanged ereetings. Instead of sitting down, as he usually did, Dost paced the room as he talked, and the lawyer’s first sledge hammer statement sent prickles up and down his vis- itor’s spine. “Tye done a lot of figuring since last night,” Dost opened. ‘“ And I may as well tell you that I see a chance for a killing— a real honest-to-God killing! Why be a piker? I knew what was in your mind last night. You were thinking you’d give your ears if you could lift the whole bunch!” Harvey started, and Dost went on: “ That was it. You know you were! Well, let’s do it! I’ve got it all doped out!” “Wha-wha-a-at?” exclaimed Harvey. “ That’s what! It can be done! With a little nerve—if you’ve got it—the trick can be turned. Without any danger, to speak of!” Harvey sank into a chair. Dost had hit the nail on the head. But with his lim- ited knowledge of legal affairs, Harvey could not quite see how the thing was to be accomplished. He stared at Dost. “Go on,” he said. “Tell me how it can be done. Then I'll see if I have the nerve.’ “That’s the spirit,” Dost assured him, 839 *“ And you'll be surprised how easy it is. I’ve been over all the ground and I can’t see any loophole. It’s hardly a gamble!” “ All right. Go on. Let’s hear it.” ‘““T gathered from what you said that you and young Wentworth are about the same age. Is that right?” “There can’t be more than a couple of years’ difference,” Harvey said. ‘Then it’s simple as mud. You will col- lect the money in the name of Merle Went- worth!” Harvey snorted in disgust. ‘ You’re crazy!” he said. “ Fat chance of pulling anything so raw as that! We’d both land in the coop in about twenty minutes, and stay there for about twenty years. Do you mean. to say that’s your bright idea?” — “ Listen, you fool!” Dost snarled. ““ You heard me say that the thing could be pulled off without practically any danger, didn’t you? Well, then, here you go bellyaching about twenty years in prison before I have given you one single detail of the scheme. What’s eating you?” ‘Well, I don’t see letting myself. i in for a stretch up the Hudson. Id rather be poor but honest, and outside, than rich and crooked, and inside!” “ Hell, don’t talk to me about being crooked! You’re crooked already. And you got nothing out of it. Piking stuff! So I don’t mind being crooked if nobody gets wise to it. That being as it is, my combination is rich and crooked—and out- side, to borrow your way of sizing it up. Now you pay attention to me, Sykes, and I'll slip you an earful worth picking up. Give me that letter.” Harvey passed the document over. Dost unfolded it and spread it out on the desk at which he finally had seated himself. “ Here,” he continued, “is a letter ad- vising one Merle Wentworth—whom the writer never has seen and but recently heard of—that a half million dollars is waiting for him. “Good! This Craig party has assumed that his letter will reach the person to whom it is addressed. And when he receives a prompt answer from the said person, he will have no doubt that all is well. So you wil! answer the letter. Do you see?” comicbooks (E(9)