Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 7, 1928 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

10 as a large taxpayer she might want to know something about the proposed irrigation plant, but where was the ne- cessity for all this secrecy and subter- fuge? 7 After vainly scratching his head over the question for a minute or two, Norman finally decided wisely that the quickest way to clear up the matter was to find out what she had to say. Nevertheless he took time to shave meticulously and change to what he re- garded as his most becoming suit. Also, he spent precious minutes de- bating over the shirt and tie he should wear; and it seemed as if he would ' never get the part in his hair to his liking. But at last, with a final lingering survey of himself in the glass, he de- cided that he might pass muster, and Was just about to dash out of the room when his eye happened to fall on the atray of surgical dressings she had sent up to him. Hastily he paused to slap a wad of cotton on his wrist, and wrap about a yard of gauze around it; he passed up the liniment, labeled as good for either man or beast, since one sniff of it con- vinced him that it would make him smell like a livery stable; then he hur- ried on his way. He found Molly waiting for him in the writing room as she had promised. But her foot was tapping impatiently, and the pains he had taken with his appearance didn’t seem to make any hit with her. In fact, her eyes rested with such marked disfavor on his arm that Nor- man involuntarily dropped his own gaze to it, and saw to his dismay that the loosely wound bandage had come undone and was trailing after him like a streamer. ~~ So viciously did he grab at it in his embarrassment and, yanking it in, begin stuffing it up his sleeve, that the eirl had to laugh in spite of herself.. ‘Come here,” she told him, “ and let me fix that for you right.” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, Then, as she deftly rewound the bandage on his wrist and fastened it securely, she asked him severely why. he had not used the liniment she sent him. “It smells to heaven,’ muttered Norman excusingly. “Sure it does,” she nodded. “ That is why I got it. It pays to advertise.” And look at that perfectly knotted tie and the mathematical part to your hair!’ she exclaimed witheringly. “‘ Do you expect any one to believe you ever got such results with a single hand ?, Rumple them up now while you have the chance, or I’ll do it for you.” She looked so capable of carrying out her threat that Norman hastily thrust his fingers up through his plas- tered locks and disarranged the offend- ing tie. But at the same time he could not help mumbling to himself that he failed to see the sense of all this play- acting hokum. ; “Oh, don’t you?” Molly caught him up sharply, her somewhat quizzical tone becoming serious. “ Well, if you will pretend now to be dictating let- ters to me, maybe I can make it clear. Mr. Rich ”—she leaned toward him impressively—* I came here to-day to warn you.” “To warn me?” Norman drew back a little. He wondered if possibly she was a bit daft from living all alone in these wilds, as he had heard she did. “Warn me of what?” “ That’s what I don’t exactly know.” She frowned thoughtfully, “ But I was hoping that between us we might be able to puzzle it out. “You see,” she explained, “ I want to see you get that contract; for, al- though I was down to El Paso when you were here before, I know all that you did for us, and I think you have earned if. “1 can tell you, though, that unless you do something mighty pronto, those horned toads’ over at the courthouse are going to ditch you.” : “ Horned toads at the courthouse?” EOMIE DOOKS (E(0)|