Argosy All-Story Weekly, August 9, 1924 — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

292 Then I was in the fight with both feet. My brother didn’t teach me boxing for nothing. My right caught Manning on the ear and sent him staggering, and I fol- lowed up my advantage with a couple of pokes in his face that decorated his eyes for a week afterward. It was the surprise of the thing that won, because Carlyle Manning had weight and reach and skill to give away against any man. But he dropped the pistol with that first sock to the ear and I had sense enough to grab it. I covered Manning and looked at Dick, who was gaping like a fool. And I saw the door to Mr. Bowman’s safe swing open, and my heart was like lead. I turned on Dick. “ You get out of this fast, while the going’s good,” I said. “I'll look after him—” “ Careful, Cora!’? Manning replied quick- “You don’t understand—” “Oh, I understand all right.” “No, you don’t! I caught this chap trying to rob Bowman’s safe a second time. We all know what he’s after—” “ Shut up!” I said. “ Dick, get out. I'll hold him until you get a start.” Manning gasped. ‘“ You're in this—with him?” “Yes, I am. With Dick! know!” I was, too. Awful as the whole thing seemed, I was with Dick against them all. It was terrible, but I was proud of it, too! “Cora!” Dick was gasping. “ Why, Cora!” “ Get out, for Heaven’s sake!” I snapped. “Get out before somebody comes. They'll send you up for this if they catch you—” “You mean you’re going to help me, even if I am guilty? Do you mean—” “ Shut up and get out!” I broke in. “ If you don’t I'll call the cops myself and you'll get what you deserve.” That was what I actually said, but what I meant was, “ I’m for you because I love you and can’t help it.” That was what I meant and what Dick saw I meant and what our eyes said. Funny kind of love- making, when you stop to think about it. Dick stopped beside me long enough to plant a kiss on my hair and give Manning ly. Now you ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, a wicked grin. ‘“ Hold him, Cora,” he said, I heard him going through the outer office. Manning was talking fast. ‘“ Don’t be a fool, Cora,” he was saying. “No matter how you feel about Dick, they can send you up for this. Drop that gun and beat it. I promise you I won’t say a word to anybody. Listen, I'll protect Dick! No- body need know about this! I—I’ll help him all I can to make a get-away! I’m your friend. His, too! Listen, Cora, I can save you both—or send you up! Be reasonable.” I was listening. He had me going, too. What he said sounded like common sense, provided I could trust him. The gun wab- bled in my hand. I saw a look of relief coming into his eyes. ‘“ Quick!” he said. “Drop the gun and let me out of this—” Just the way he said it stopped me. “* Nothing doing,” I told him and prodded him back with the pistol. And just then came Dick’s voice from the outer door: ‘Hello! ‘You didn’t come any too soon!” It was Mr. Bowman answered—Bowman and another man. We were caught with the goods! I'll never have to wonder now how that feels! I’ll never have the heart again to look at a rat in a cage! ‘“‘Here’s our friend—in good keeping,” Dick announced at the door, and the gun was taken out of my hand while a man stepped in front of Manning and laid a hand on kis arm. It was the red faced cop with the barber’s smile. “T caught this fellow Cryder opening your safe, Mr. Bowman!” Manning bab- bled. Lucky you got here in time—” “It’s lucky, all right!” the detective grinned. Dick said hotly: “ Stop lying, Manning. It won’t help you now.” “T tell you I watched him and caught him red-handed after your evidence!’ Man- ning kept repeating. But Dick laughed shortly, and Mr. Bow- man shook his head. “ It won’t hold water, Manning,” he said. ‘“‘ Because the evidence you were after is not in that safe and hasn’t been there since the first attempt to ‘“He’s after that evidence again. GomilGeboo ‘a S CG)