Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 18, 1928 — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

THE. PERFECT ly, I will arrange for the additional data required for your passport. Quite ordinary. ‘“‘ Nobody in the State Department knows Merle Wentworth from a hole in the ground. You will go as Merle Wentworth, along with me. And we will clean up in a third of the time we would otherwise. It’s fortunate that your father broke with his family when he came to this country; other- wise we could not get away with it. As it stands—it’s a cinch! Stick your moniker on that letter.” While Dost had been talking, a gradual change had come over Harvey. The ef- fects of the dope, creeping through his sys- tem, had, indeed, a steadying result. Rapidly his brain cleared, doubts fled like mist before the rising sun. He fol- lowed Dost eagerly; saw for himself how simple the scheme really was. And when finally the lawyer concluded, Harvey was ready. He signed with a flourish. “IT get you,” he said, grinning, “ it’s great stuff. You’re a wonder, Emil. And, oh, boy! All that dough! Say! You're going to cable for some of it, aren’t you?”’ “ve already done so. <A _ thousand pounds, as Craig mentioned. I thought it better not to ask for more, now. So by to- morrow, you can draw down twenty-five hundred dollars or so—less what I have al- ready advanced you—and we'll be all square to date. We'll split expenses on the trip.” “Gosh, that’s hitting ’em. Let’s go out and eat. When do you suppose we'll get away?” “Next week, sometime,” Dost replied. * Just as soon as we can get the passports.” >) XI. Durinc the fortnight which elapsed be- fore Harvey Sykes and Emil Dost actually sailed for England on the British steamer Bengal, the former had frequent recourse to the little phial which his fellow conspir- ator had given him. Harvey found it no trick at all to regain his ebbing confidence and justified himself by reasoning that using a stimulant in times of mental stress was nothing new. Most people did it. He would have denied indignantly the SCHEME. 847 real truth that he was becoming a “ snow- bird ” with startling rapidity. At that, he might not have cared a whole lot; the dope kept him cheerful, cool-head- ed—absolutely sure of himself. Why allow himself to slip again into those horrible fits of terrified foreboding which he had suf- fered at the outset, when a pinch of the magic powder would put everything right? Furthermore, every vestige of regret at what he was doing to Merle Wentworth fled under the treatment. Who in hell was Merle to stand in the way of a “ regular ” guy like Harvey Sykes? P-ff! And the scheme which Dost had outlined in the beginning unrolled beautifully and with a certainty that astonished Harvey and gratified the cock-sure attorney. The birth certificate came promptly; affidavits from two individuals who asserted they had known the applicant for many years, were available for passport purposes. Photo- graphs of Harvey Sykes were duly at- tached and who in the passport bureau was there to say that these were not likenesses of Merle Wentworth? Thus, to all intents and purposes, Harvey became Merle and when he boarded the Bengal along with Dost, he had almost come to regard himself in his new identity. Dost had seen to it that their names were not on the passenger list; one never could tell whose eye would scan that roster. Craig had cabled the five thousand dol- lars as he had agreed and, with money in his pocket and a letter of credit for two thousand dollars, Harvey lolled in a steamer chair the first day out and decided he was at last coming into his own. Lord! Ease and luxury for the rest of his life! That is—if he was careful. There would be not less than a quarter of a million dollars for him and six per cent on that came to fifteen thousand a year. On which Harvey knew he could get along very sweetly—even go in for an occasional burst of hell-raising, if he so desired. He never would dare tell Clare he had inherited so much money, he concluded at last. She would ask too many questions. Already he was counting Clare won! At any rate, Merle Wentworth was out of luck what with losing his job and all. Gomichbooks (F@)