The Argosy, March 1907 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

664 — Consequently, although he had good luck with the Subway and managed to catch an express almost as soon as he entered the station, some fifteen or twenty minutes necessarily elapsed before he reached the. establishment for which he was bound. “Furnish you: a mechanic who can put together, inside of a couple of hours, a machine totally taken apart?” an- swered the courteous salesman. ‘“ Why, yes; certainly we can. When did you want him to come?” “Now! At once!” exclaimed Dave. “Tf yowll trot him out [ll take him right along with me, so that there need not be the slightest delay.” The man smiled at his impatience. ‘But I am afraid that would be im- possible,” he explained. “‘ All our force is out at present. The soonest we could promise you would be to-morrow morn- ing.” “But I tell you this is an imperative. case,” protested Dave. “I am willing to pay almost any price for a competent man, provided I can have him at once.” The other was sympathetic, but he still had to shake his head. “No,” he affirmed, “I am sorry, but it is out of the question.” ‘Then tell me some other place where I can get hold of a workman,” urgently. “You of course. do not understand; but to me it is almost a matter of life and death that this player of mine should be repaired before two o’clock!”’ “Oh, but that is simply out of all reason, you know,” demurred the sales- man with definite conclusion. “ Our own mechanics, who are specialists at the work, would be hard pressed to do such a job as you describe in that time. An outside man, such as you might pick up, never.” It was true. With a crash all Dave’s hopes came tumbling to the ground. There was no way in which he could avert discovery at the hands of Ted and McNamara. CHAPTER VIL. A DREADFUL ANNOUNCEMENT. Ir was the salesman who rescued Dave from despair with a suggestion so simple that Dave could not understand why THE ARGOSY. he had failed to hit upon such a solution — himself. “ Unless there is some especial reason for having your own particular machine at the entertainment,’ he counseled, evi- dently under the impression that the instrument was desired for use at some kind of a social gathering, “why do you not take one of these which we have here in stock? “That would seem to me a far more satisfactory way of overcoming the difh- culty, and, although giving you an en- tirely new piano-player, would really cost you very little more than the repairs you contemplated, since if your machine is complete, as you say, we would be glad to make you a very considerable allow- ance on it in effecting the deal.” Dave took a moment for rapid thought. Mr. Green had of course recognized the instrument at sight, but it was very un- likely that Ted, who rarely went to the Knipeses, or McNamara, who had never been. there, would be apt to spot a sub- stitution. At any rate, it was a risk well worth taking. ‘“Have. you a player slightly shop- worn, or looking as if it had been used o some extent?” he inquired anxiously, and to his delight the salesman was able to show him.-the very thing he wanted. In construction, finish, signs of wear— even down to the scuffed places on the carpeted pedals—it was as near a “ringer” for Mrs. Knipes’s as could well be imagined. Without the exchange of half a dozen words he produced his pocketbook and paid for the thing on the spot. ‘And you don’t care to trade your old machine for a part of the purchase price?”’ inquired the clerk, tentatively fingering the bills passed over to him. ‘Well, I haven’t decided on that yet. Vl think it over, and let you know to- morrow. ‘The main point with me just now is to get this hew one up to my diggings before two o’clock. Do you think it can be done?” “Oh, yes,” confidently. ‘ We have an automobile truck, you know, and it will take no time at all to whirl the instrument up there, especially as I shall give orders to have it shipped at once, You may go on about your business, sir, Gomichooks com