Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

LISTENING riously, and a bit apprehensively, ‘“ From the way you talk, Mr. Hemment, I’d—are you going into danger?” ‘T hope not. But it is possible that I. may be scalped by the Indians; and in that event—”’ ‘The Indians?” “ Are you not aware that the streets of Harrisburg are overrun with red Indians, Miss Reilly—and lions and tigers, too? Really, your ignorance astounds me!”’ The switchboard buzzed, and the op- erator gave her attention to it. ‘“‘ That was the Pennsylvania Station,” she told Hemment presently. ‘‘ They say you won’t be able to get a train to Harrisburg before ten minutes past nine. It ’ll bring you out there at half past one—if an ele- phant or a giraffe don’t get on the railroad track.” It was not either of those animals which prevented the newspaperman from arriving at his destination at that hour. His plans were upset by a thick-necked, square- jawed man named Dolan, who accosted him on the street at half past eight that morning, just as he was leaving his bachelor apartment en route for the rail- way station. ‘Good morning, Mr. Hemment. You are up early to-day. I wasn’t expecting to see you abroad before noon, knowing what hours you night-owls keep. ‘Tis glad I am, though, that you’re such an early riser, for it saves me a long and tire- some wait. The boss gave me orders to camp on your door-step until you showed your face. I was not to disturb your slumbers, said he, but as soon as you was ready to go down-town I was to nail you.” ‘Nail me! lan?” the reporter demanded. not placing me under arrest?” “Not if I can help “, sir, I’ve known you too long to be willing to do that—ex- cept as a last resort. But my orders are to bring you down to headquarters with- out fail, The boss wants to see you imme- diately.” | Hemment frowned. Deputy Police Com- missioner Oglivie was one of the last per- sons he desired to meet at that moment. What do you mean, Do- You're EYES. 389 Besides, he had only just time to catch his train. ‘Tell him I'll see him later,” he began. ‘““T’ve got a very pressing engagement, and—”’ ‘Tm sorry, but I’m afraid that won’t do. My orders were to bring you right down-town, Mr. Hemment, as soon as you showed yourself. The chief is so anxious to have a talk with you that he told me not to hesitate to make a pinch if you wouldn’t come willingly.” Much to the Central Office man’s relief, he was not obliged to go to that unpleasant extreme. The reporter decided that he had better not decline Oglivie’s rather peremp- tory invitation. He would ‘have to take a later train to Harrisburg. The delay was exasperating, and might even prove disas- trous to his expectations, but it could not be avoided. If he were to stand on his legal rights and challenge his friend Dolan’s authority to arrest him without a warrant, he might finally gain his point, but by the time the controversy was settled the train that he had been expecting to catch would be-well on its way to the Pennsylvania city. Be- sides, disinclined though he was to have any intercourse with the chief of the Cen- tral Office at this particular time, he was rather curious to know what was behind the latter’s insistent demand for his pres- ence at police headquarters. Evidently something startling had happened, and his companion professed to be unable to give him any information as to its nature. The deputy police commissioner was in his office when they arrived at headquar- ters. He greeted the newspaperman pleasantly enough. | ‘“Ah! Good morning, Mr. Hemment. I’m glad you dropped in. I understand you were looking for me last night. I called you up at your office as-soon as I received your message, but they told me you had gone home.” ‘‘] waited for you until one o’clock,” the reporter responded, wondering what on earth was coming. ‘“Quite so. All my fault. It was too bad that 1 was unable.te.zet,in.feuch.. inn