Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 2, 1922 — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

Oi ie 542 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ““ Doped?” Javalie shook his head. “ He isn’t going to wake up.” In Javalie’s room, Reynolds turned the key in the lock and retained it. » “Sit down.” . Javalie lowered himself into a chair and folded his hands loosely behind his head. The expression on his slender, lean face had become almost dreamy. Reynolds, having locked the door, strode over and stood looking down at him with a scornful grin. ‘““ Now, holy man,’’ he said gently, “ see if you can read my thoughts.” ‘““Wouldn’t you rather play leap-frog?” Javalie replied. “JT mean it. Go on and dope me. You’ve got about one guess. Go on and guess it.” “You are almost as difficult to pene- trate,” Javalie replied, “as the meaning of a twenty-four-sheet poster. You are wondering how you can rush me into a fifty-fifty split. You don’t know how. I’ tell you something more, Reynolds. You’re yellow, and you’re a rank amateur. I wouldn’t be surprised but what you are cutting your eye-teeth on this job. Shall I go on?” “Oh, wonderful!” Reynolds chortled. “ Perfectly uncanny! What a mind reader you are, holy one! No, that’s enough. We'll let it go at that. I’m not here to quar- fel. I’m a business man. I’ve got something to sell. I’ve got the combination to that vault—and you haven’t! I know you're laying your foundations to stay in this house a good long time; but wouldn’t it suit you better, really now, to have some one give it to you—and get done in a hurry? Good as you are, it will take you weeks to work out that combination. “Oh, hell, I know you’re a clever crook! I'll wager there isn’t a smoother one in the whole country. Everything you do shows thai. You have the master’s touch. I ad- mit it. With you in fair competition I haven’t a chance. But the competition isn’t fair—unfortunately for you-—because [. know the combination of that vault, and you don’t! “You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned a fifty-fifty split. Make that a promise, and I’ll obey commands. What- ever you say, I'll do. I know a master’s voice when I hear one, and I know that the word of a high-class crook like you is good.” “Thank you,” said Javalie dryly. “Well, what’s your answer?” Javalie lifted the heel of one sandaled foot to the toe of the other. This forma- tion he proceeded to wave slowly back and forth, the while contemplating it critically. “In the first place,” he said regretfully, “Tt have made it a rule never to team. To tell you the truth, Reynolds, I don’t need you.” Reynolds nodded curtly. ‘ Suit yourself, What is your proposition?” Javalie reflected. ‘“ One-fifth of the plun- der.” “Oh, hell. Are you trying to make me laugh out loud?” “ One-fifth,” Javalie repeated, ‘ condi- tional upon my being left strictly alone.” He contemplated the flushed face critically. ‘‘ Otherwise, nothing.” ‘‘ And what if a piking fifth doesn’t satis- fy me?” “ Before I’m through it will more than satisfy you.” “Ts that a threat?” “No; merely a statement of fact. Let me try to show you my side of it, Rey- nolds. You have been in this house more thana month. All this time you have been skating on the thinnest ice. You are in danger of being asked to leave—”’ ‘Thanks to your good work!” Javalie slowly shook his head. ‘““Nope; you’ve brought it on yourself. I haven’t said a word against you. I didn’t have to. Why, you haven’t been a bit clever. Look here. Why did you try to force your way into Mme. Jeanne’s room one night when her husband was away?” The amateur glared at him. ‘“ Who told you that?” ‘““Y didn’t dream it, did I? You’ve been unpardonably crude. You’re a_ bungler. What I’m trying to figure out is, what was your idea in wanting to run off with Miss Banning? What was your idea, Rey- nolds?”’ Gomichbooks.com