Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

294 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. The footsteps drew nearer, until, still some distance away, the white-clad figure of a man showed upon the tree-fringed toad. The sprawled figure on the beach made no effort toward flight, and less to- ward concealment. With a sort of studied Insolence injected into his challenge, he stuck another cigarette between his lips and deliberately allowed full play to the flare of the match. The footsteps halted abruptly. Then, in another moment, they crunched upon the sand, and a tall man, with thin. swarthy face, a man of perhaps forty or forty-five. . who picked assiduously at his teeth with a quill toothpick, stood over the recumbent figure. ‘Found you, have [?" he gruntecl com- placently. “Tf you like to put it that way," said the young man indifferently. He raised himself on his elbow again, ancl stared to- ward the road. ‘‘ Where’s the army?” he inquired. The tall man allowed the point of the quill toothpick to flex and strike back against his teeth. The sound was distinc- tive. Tck! He ignored the question. ‘“When the mate came out of dream- land,” he said, ‘he lowered a boat and came ashore to lay a complaint against you.” , ‘“T can’t sav I’m surprised,” admitted the young man. “I suppose | am to go with you quietly and make no trouble or it will be the worse for me—I believe that’s the usual formula, isn’t it?”’ The man with the quill toothpick sat down on the sand. He appeared to be ab- sorbed for a moment in a contemplation of his surroundings. “These tropic nights are wonderful, aren’t they? Kind of get you.” He plied the quill toothpick industriously. ‘I’m a passenger on the steamer, and I! came ashore with the mate. He’s gone back— without laying the complaint. There's al- ways a way of fixing things—even injured feelings. One of the native boat’s crew said he knew where you were to be found. He’s over there.” He jerked his head in the direction of the road. The young man sat bolt upright. ‘“T don’t get you,” he said slowly, “ ex- cept that you are evidently not personify- ing the majesty of the law. What’s the idea?” “Well,” said the other, “I had three reasons for coming. ‘The first was that I thought I recognized you yesterday when they threw you off the steamer, and was sure of it to-night when—I am a light sleeper—I came out on the upper deck at the sound of the row and saw you take your departure from the vessel for the sec- ond time.” “TI had no idea,” said the young man, ‘that I was so well known. Are you quite sure you haven’t made a mistake?”’ “Quite!” asserted the other composedly. ‘Of course, I am not prepared to say what your present name is—you may have con- sidered a change beneficial—-so I will not presume in that respect. But you are, or were, a resident of San Francisco. You were very nice people there. I have no knowledge of your mother, except that I understand she died in your infancy. A few years ago your father died and left you, not a fortyne, but quite a moderate amount of money. I believe the *pulpits _ designate it as a ‘ besetting sin.’ You had one—gambling. The result was that you traveled the road a great many other young men have traveled; the only difference be- ing that, in so far as I am competent to speak, you hold the belt for speed and all- round proficiency. You went utterly, com- pletely and whole-heartedly to hell.” The tall man became absorbed again in his sur- roundings. ‘“ And I take it,” he said pres- ently, ‘that in spite of the wonders of a tropic night, you are still there.” The young man shrugged his shoulders. “You have put it very delicately,” he said, with a grim smile. “I’m sorry, but I am obliged to confess that the recognition isn’t mutual. Would you mind telling me who you are?” ‘We'll get to that in due course,” said the other. ‘‘ My second reason was that it appeared to me to be logical to suppose that, having once been the bona fide article, you could readily disguise yourself as a gentleman again, and your interpretation of the rile would he hevyond. evsniciongr lic” ao)