Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 25, 1924 — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

FORTUNE FAVORS THE KNAVE. ‘‘ Indeed and I’m glad to meet you,” the comely widow greeted the newcomer. ‘“‘ Gentlemen are scarce on the grade.” As per instructions, Finnerty made him- self scarce then. His footsteps were slow and his demeanor was sad. If only he was handsome and a talker, like McCandless, he could do his own love making. His con- science smote him for lying to the widow; for introducing a bum as a gentleman. He wondered if any good could come from such a procedure. “Well, did you fix things for me?” he asked McCandless when the latter returned from the office, an hour later. ‘‘ Almost but not quite,” replied the fixer. “ Tl] have another talk with Alice to-mor- row night, then, as I figure it, all three of us will go out together the following night.” ‘‘ Alice?” said Finnerty, surprised. ‘Are you calling the lady by her first name al- ready?” Mr. Elegance laughed lightly. ‘““T should say so. Always call ’em by their first name, Fin. They like it. Trou- ble with you is you’re too darned respect- ful.” On the following evening McCandless and the widow took a long walk together, but when the ambassador reported progress he was sadly regretful. “TI tried my level best to talk her into a little trip for all three of us, but I couldn’t put it across,” he stated. “ She insisted that just she and,I should go. But I’ll fix things for you and then drop out. You bet I will.” But somehow, despite his cultured air and easy manner, Finnerty’s fixer seemed unable to accomplish this task. Personal progress he could make, but no progress for Finnerty. “You seem to be losing sight of what I bought you them elegant clothes for,” the latter complained. “Positively I’m not,” McCandless in- sisted. ‘I’m doing the best I can for you —hboosting you first, last and all the time— but I just can’t get her interested in you. That is, not yet.” “ You still think you can?” “Tl say so.” Finnerty endured the unsatisfactory sit- 105 uation for a whole week. Then he put his foot down. ‘“* McCandless,” he said, ‘‘ the way you’re carrying on with Mrs. Maloney has got to stop. I bought you clothes so you could make a hit for me, not for yourself.” The elegant one elevated his eyebrows. “ But, my dear man—”’ ‘““ Dear hell! You’re more of a handicap than a help. I could talk to her myself if you weren’t always hangin’ around. It’s plain enough now that you can do nothing for me. But at least you can get out. So do it.” “This very evening,” promised the fixer. But he didn’t. He took another long walk with Alice Maloney, and when he re- turned he was very sad indeed. “Finnerty,” he said, “I’m afraid I’ve got bad news for you.” “ What?” “Alice and I are engaged to be mar- ried.” Finnerty jumped to his feet. “You dare tell me that?” McCandless shrugged a slim shoulder. “We have discovered that we love each other, old chap. Sorry—but you see how it is.” Finnerty shook a fist that looked big as a coal bucket. “‘ For two pins I’d knock your block off.” The fixer held up a languid hand. ‘TI shouldn’t blame you, Fin. It seems per- fectly beastly of me. But I assure you I couldn’t help it. Love laughs at fellows who do their courting through others, as you’d know if you ever read ‘ The Court- ship of Miles Standish.’ If it’s any conso- lation, you may be my best man.” Finnerty wanted to rend the fellow limb from limb. But what good would that do? Alice Maloney would nurse him and love him all the more. “You can’t get away with that game,” he cried. “I'll tell her what a fake you are; how youre no college man, but a bum; how I staked you to your clothes.” McCandless merely shrugged a shoulder. “You dirty loafer,” cried Finnerty, his anger rising. ‘‘’T ain’t for love you want to marry her, but because she owns prop- erty. You had it in your mind from the > COmiclbooks (E@