Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 3, 1924 — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

WHAT STEVE prosperous scenery vanished when he had to wait in steam heated offices to see pros- pective employers. He invariably appeared with the coat over his arm, clad neatly but plainly like any man who had never earned more than twenty-five dollars a week. Those to whom he represented himself as an executive of experience glanced at his clothes and evaded his application for work. Barney scanned the weather forecast in the daily papers even before he read the Help Wanted columns. “ If winter doesn’t come pretty soon, I’m sunk,” he groaned. After a fruitless day Barney walked across town in the direction of his boarding house. The evening was turning decidedly frosty, a chill wind blew off the Jersey Palisades and Barney was glad of his big coat. In the shadows under the elevated rail- way Barney saw a small crowd staring up at the structure. He elbowed his way into the group. ‘‘ What’s doing?” he asked. Somebody explained obligingly: “ They’s a kitten up there under the tracks, see it? Dog chased it up, I guess.” Faintly discernible as a fluffy, white blur Barney spied the huddled kitten. It voiced its unhappiness in sharp, piercing mews. “Why don’t somebody get it down?” Barney demanded. There was a general shaking of heads. “ Don’t catch me monkeying around that third rail!” one man said. “Yes, and a train’s likely to come along and knock you for a goal,” added another. “Look out! It’s climbing onto the rails! It’s a goner now!” ‘There comes the train!” “ Oh, shucks!” Barney growled. “ You’re a fine lot of dumb-bells! I’m going after it.” “ Look out, mister—” “Don’t do that. The train’s coming—” “ Better not chance it, buddy!” Barney was struggling out of his big coat. ‘Steve Brodie took a chance,” he muttered, disgusted, “ but it looks like he was the last New Yorker ever did! Here— hold my coat!” He thrust the precious bundle into the first hands that offered and began to climb the pillar of the Elevated structure. BRODIE DID. 981 The steel pillar was laced with iron cross braces and it was an easy matter to climb it. Barney got head and shoulders into the space just beneath the ties and reached= his hand through to grasp the trembling kitten. The rails were humming with the ap- proach of a train. : As Barney reached the terrified animal it leaped to another tie and evaded his fin- gers. He had to withdraw his arm from one space and reach again farther off. His fingers touched the kitten and closed over it. With the animal in his fist he ducked his head swiftly, withdrew his arm and hud- dled, while over his head a foot or two dis- tant the train roared. Barney was badly shaken, deafened by the racket and rather breathless... He clung a moment longer be- fore he descended. A woman confronted him as he came down. “Oh, thank you!” she was saying. “Thank you so much!” “Is it yours?” “Yes. We just found he had got out from the flat! You were awfully brave to rescue Toto!” ‘* Me and Steve Brodie!”’ Barney grinned. He saw that the kitten’s owner was young and bareheaded and breathless. He saw more, something that made him stare. She was staring, too. “Why,” she exclaimed, “‘ Mr. Wilder!” ‘¢ Sure enough,” said Barney, “I remem- ber you. You work for McGonigle! You don’t tell me you live around here?” “‘ Indeed, I do,” said McGonigle’s secre- tary. ‘I’ve lived in the Hudson Arms for five years.” And my boarding house isn’t half a block from you. Think of that!” Barney beamed. Brodie,” he remarked in self-congratula- tion. “If I hadn’t taken a chance in fish- ing out your kitten I’d never have known all this!” , The rescue being over the crowd dis- persed and left them beaming on each other. ‘“‘ Let me see you home,” Barney offered. “ Indeed, I will. I don’t think we were ever introduced. I am Belle Crawford, Mr. COMED OO! “That shows it pays to pull a. S (©