Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

878 the envelope, Jim Golly had watched Hitch with acute attention, and he was con- vinced that if Hitch could read at all, it was with difficulty. So with more confi- dence than he had felt before, he wrote a check payable to the “Lodge Regalia Tail- oring Co.” Everything was legible about the check except the name signed to it. Not even Jim could tell what that was, for he did not know. Handing the check to Hitch, he pre- tended to be busy inserting the papers in the envelope, while he watched Hitch from the corner of his eye. Hitch Diamond’s knowledge of the bank up to that hour had consisted of certain menial tasks, emptying waste paper baskets, cleaning cuspidors, sweeping floors and wiping windows. This was his first experience as a patron of the bank. A check did not mean anything to him in his life. He couldn’t read it. But he inspected it carefully and handed it back to Jim: “ Dat’s c’rect,’”’ he said easily. Jim slipped it into the stamped envelope, licked the flap and sealed it, and handed the letter to Hitch. ‘“‘ You put dis in de post orfice an’ dat ‘ll end our bizzness,” Jim said. “ I’s powerful glad because I don’t favor bein’ follered around by black Affikin head choppers. Dis is de fust lodge whut has treated me so bad as dat, an’ I gits jim-jams thinkin’ about it.” “T ain’t good comp’ny even to myse’f,” Hitch agreed. “ Does I git free now?” Jim inquired. “JT now releases you from custody,” Hitch said laboriously trying to recall the words of the ritual. ‘‘ You is now free to come an’ go of yo’ own sweet will ’thout de guidunce an’ super-sup-supervision of yo’ lodge-app’inted gyardeen. May yo’ paths be straight an’ conshunce be yo’ guide.” The two separated at the door of the tank, going in different directions. Jim Golly slipped into a near-by alley to laugh. He sat down and took off his hat and slapped his bulging thigh with his headgear. The affair had worked out admirably for him. “T now sets aroun’ Tickfall, waitin’ fer dem lodge clothes whut ain’t never arriy- ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, in’,” he chuckled, as he beat the ground at his feet with his hat. “ Dat letter will git gwine, but ’twon’t never find nowhar fer to git, because why, dar ain’t no place like I sont it to!” He took a little round mirror out of his vest pocket and glanced at his reflection with unconcealed admiration. ‘““Dat head chopper ain’t never fiddled wid no slick head like me. I don’t aim to ketch it in de neck wid no ax.” IV. CoLoNEL Tom GAITSKILL, president of the Tickfall bank, sat ‘upon his porch in gloomy contemplation of a diminutive and defunct holly tree, his latest failure in a fifteen-year effort to root upon his lawn one of these beautiful but obstinate and disappointing shrubs. ““She’s dead, Marse Tom,” Hitch Dia- mond remarked unsympathetically, as he contemplated the little dry switch. “ ’Tain’t de fust one us is made a miscue wid. I been plantin’ holly trees fer you gwine on a long time—dey’s kinder disencouraging.”’ “Tl try again,” Gaitskill sighed, as if the little tree was of utmost importance and its failure to grow a tragic event in his career, “ Life is not worth living unless I can make a holly tree grow before I die.” “Ef you ain’t prankin’, Marse Tom, I’m promisin’ you dat you'll die tryin’,” Hitch chuckled. ‘‘ Dem trees is hard to grow. But, Marse Tom, I done come to ax you a ’terrogation: Is our lodge clothes come yit?” tts “ ‘Your—which?” Gaitskill asked. “* De lodge clothes whut de bank ordered fer us,” Hitch explained. “ Me an’ a nig- ger named Jim Golly gib you de money *bout a week ago an’ I been kinder watchin’ de bank to see wus de clothes piled up in a corner somewhar. It’s a hundred suits an’ dey’ll make a big bundle.” “TI don’t know what you are talking about,” Gaitskill said. ‘‘ The bank didn’t order any clothes for anybody.” ‘Naw, suh, de order wus sont by Jim Golly,” Hitch said. ‘* Well, I guess they have come.” Gaits- kill suddenly recalled an incident of the day COMiclooe (©