Argosy All-Story Weekly — "Sea Marauders" — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

-~ a EVERY MINUTE COUNTS. er tell the colonel a good joke! Mighty funny! Colonel Bragg, however, was un- armed and his lips lacked froth. As Richard entered the library, the colonel was just hanging up his telephone re- ceiver. He glanced at Richard with his weary eyes. = Sorry to have bothered you, Vane,” he muttered. = Oh—er—that’ s all right,” Richard smiled. “Wanted you to call up and make my excuses, you know,” the colonel yawned, ‘“ Gad! I can do with little sleep, but I can’t afford to lose an hour of that little if I want any head next day!” “ec Yes e? “ Melton! Melton! I wanted you to call up Melton and see if he’d put-over that luncheon till to-morrow—or pos- sibly next week!” “Huh?” gasped Richard, and the familiar sensation of reeling was upon him once more! “'Y’see,’’ the colonel yawned again, © T want my wits with me when I talk to this chap and look him over. He’s bright! He’s evidently sharp as a steel trap and—heigh-ho-hum! Dozen things I want to talk over with him—and I’m not in shape for it to-day.” Richard had regained his breath. “Well, if you’re not in shape for it, colonel, I think it would be a mighty silly thing to have him up here and— and use up all your time and energy and all that, to no purpose!” gushed from him. “I'll call him up at once and say—” “No use,” Colonel Bragg grunted. “Oh, but I’m sure there is—” The colonel stared hard at him a mo- ment. ~ “What the devil’s the matter with you now?” he asked. “I’m quite sure there isn’t. Mr. Melton just telephoned and accepted my invitation.” “T_J—wouldn’t let that influence me, one way or the other,” said the re- markable Richard. ‘“ This is more im- portant to him than it is to you—just a plain architect like that, colonel. I mean, he'd appreciate talking it over just when you felt like talking it over. Pil call him up right away and explain! F'r—what’s his number ?” Colonel Bragg stared on. “Vane,” he said mildly, one doesn’t make a point of inviting a per- son to luncheon and asking him to postpone on short notice whatever he may have had planned for to-day, and then—” “Tm absolutely certain that he’d rather come some other time, if he knew the facts!” Richard said dogged- ly; for good old, slow-moving, spec- tacled Bill would sit in his office and mull over the problem for all of fif- teen minutes, and Gwen’s private wire was up just one flight! “ T’ll attend to it, colonel. What’s the number, please? Or shall I look it up: pee He waited, all aquiver, for hete again every minute was likely to count so very, very much! The unhurried col- onel scowled at him silently. Only, in Heaven’s name, must he sit and scowl all day long, while the precious minutes fled? Richard took a forward step; he ce would look up a number; he would then | call Bill’s private number; carefully chosen language— “Colonel, you’re all tuckered out!” Richard said suddenly. “‘ Let me look after this matter for you. Where’s the telephone book ?” The colonel came out of his reverie. “You may be right at that, you confounded freak!” he muttered, not too flatteringly, and reached for the directory beside his desk. “Tl call him up myself.” “Oh, I—TI think you'd better let me do it!” Richard cried. “Looks bet- ter, T mean—you know, coming from a secretary! More—more dignified! More—er—more—”’ “Vane!” said Colonel Bragg, paus- ing with his finger in the book and his warm gaze on Richard again, sure you that I am still quite capable next, in : : eg TtS a = he ae ¥ . = par! ae MAKE VOOK ~ oi a _i | »- Le Teme ye a vf “= ~ Soe me, ~ «=e —*s se ee we - Pay Sa "1 ahs a > oS Se