Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 17, 1924 — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

DIRTY leveled and delivered to me, does it not?” Mr. Vail knew perfectly well that it did— down, even, to the last consonant and punctuation mark. “Yes,” said Sparks, beginning to prick up his ears, “ it does.” “I was wondering whether that was quite fair to your concern,” continued Mr. Vail, airily waving the lighted tip of his cigar in a careless sweep. “Yes, you were!” murmured Sparks to himself. A cat, it would seem, was begin- ning to come out of a bag. “Now, see here, Swift, wouldn’t it be more satisfactory all around if we were to translate that clause into a sum of money— say fifty thousand dollars?” Sparks admiration for Mr. Vail began to mount in leaps and bounds. He could scarcely refrain from shaking his hand. The man wasn’t just a plain business mag- nate at all; he was a first-class pirate. “The chief would consider no such of- fer,” he said decisively. “ How do you know?” ‘‘T am in constant communication with him. I’ve already talked over with him the possibility of your making just such an offer.” “It’s a good stiff price for the work, young man.” a4 Very.” “Then why won’t you take it?” *““ My conscience would trouble me,” said Sparks sweetly. ‘“Nonsense!”? cried Mr. Vail heartily, and rubbing his hands. ‘“ Having this rock here is more than worth it to me. I don’t mind if you do pull my leg a little.” “ That’s good.” “Come, what do you say? agreed ?,” “What?” asked Sparks, Mr. Vail moved uneasily in his seat and stopped rubbing his hands. He began, in- stead, to clench them. “This, young man: that you alter our contract to read fifty thousand dollars in- stead of the deed to the island.” “Oh, I never could take an advantage of you like that, sir. I wouldn’t be able to sleep—from thinking about it.” Mr. Vail was untouched by any alarm Is_ it WORK. 219 as to Mr. Swiift’s possible lapse into a se- vere case of chronic insomnia. In fact, if his hand could have reached as far as the monkey wrench om the stern sheets of the tender he would have given a most con- vincing example of how simple it was to make a man drop off into unconsciousness no matter how much he might have on his mind to keep him awake. “Perhaps an added ten thousand might act as an anodyne to your conscience?” he suggested, beginning to breathe heavily. ‘* How little you know my conscience!” said Sparks reproachfully. “At least I’m beginning to get better ‘ acquainted with it. Seventy-five thousand is my last and final offer, young man, and you can take it or leave it.” _“Tf you'll cast off that line I'll bid you good night aga be on my way,” remarked Sparks pleasantly. Mr. Vail made a grab for the line and pulled it tighter. *“* One—hundred — thousand — dollars.” He separated the words to make them more impressive. Sparks had a very good laugh which he reserved for just such occasions. He used it. It inspired Mr. Vail into a form of mo- tion known as quivering. He made a men- tal note that he must go in for a course of training in target practice at once, and not until he could put a hole in a dime at twenty yards would he feel content... “Two hundred thousand dollars!” he gageed. - ‘Oh, why are you so kind?” Sparks wanted to know, in a voice that was sick- eningly sirupy in nature. With a violent grunt and an adroit clutch at Mr. Swift’s short black hair, Mr. Vail sought to haul his tormentor bodily up upon the pier. “Tf you have managed to hurt yourself it’s your own fault,” said Sparks, looking at Mr. Vail who was rubbing himself at the bottom of the tender. ‘‘ You’ve got a bad temper and you ought to do something about it.” ‘““U’m going to,”’ muttered Mr. Vail as his hand, through some divine chance, closed about the monkey wrench, (C@ NOOK (C@