The Argosy for May — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

* nese THAT STICK AND SINGLETON. mind. I will never lay a wager on an- other horse-race. So far as I am con- cerned, hereafter the horse will ‘run for Sweeny,’ as they say at the track.” The severe but kindly old banker Boxe one of his rare smiles. ‘Right, my boy,” he said, “ and I be- lieve you. You have had a hard lesson; but I think you will be an all the better man on account of it. You have told me very little concerning your squander- ing of money and your idle habits which I did not already know, for I have kept closer tab on you than you have perhaps thought. ‘But I have always trusted that you would see whither you were heading some day, and would then pull up short. And I believe that time has now come to you, Harry. “ You have shown it by coming to me for this interview this morning. You showed it by the noble way in which you stood by George in that affair of his—” ‘“ George? ”’ ‘ Yes,” smiling a little sadly. “ You have not been the only one to make con- fession to me this morning. ‘The boy had been weak, even criminal; but I am glad to say he behaved like a man in the end, and told me everything of his own ac- cord. You will know some day how THE 219 deeply I appreciate the share you took in the transaction.” ‘IT only wish I could have done more,”’ said Harry modestly. “I am afraid, as it turned out, there can be no escape from some notoriety.” ‘Oh, yes, there can,” returned the old man. ‘ That has already been arranged, and Corning and Spear will be prose- cuted not for the affair of the bonds, but for some very shady business deals in which they have been engaged, and of which I was already cognizant. I am told that both of them are almost certain to receive long terms in Sing Sing.” He paused, and Rock, taking this as a signal for him to go, started toward the door; but the old man called him back. ‘“Am I mistaken, Harry,” he asked a bit constrainedly, ‘‘ that you have always cared a good deal more for Anita than you showed upon the surface? ”’ Harry, taken utterly by surprise, raised a pair of quick, startled eyes to meet the old man’s gaze, bent searchingly upon him. Their- glances interchanged, and, al- though not a word was spoken, both un- derstood what was in the other’s mind. “She is free, Harry,” said Daniel G. softly at last. “ Why don’t you go in and win?” END. ) THAT STICK AND SINGLETON. By JOSEPH IVERS LAWRENCE. ~ An early morning sally after thieves, and the singular fashion in which the belated member of the posse gave an account of himself. NE after another the brightly lighted windows of the big Thor- ley house winked out until it was only a huge black shadow in the moonlight. A house party of some magnitude was in progress, and there had been dancing in the evening ; but the guests, tired after a day of-golf, tennis, and rowing, had retired early, and by one o’clock not even a servant was about, and perfect quiet reigned. The moon cast a pale blue light over the lawn, throwing the cordons of rare evergreens and exotic shrubs into all sorts of fantastic figures ; but not a sound was to be heard, not even when three creeping figures parted the branches of a clump of conifers and hastened stealthily across the grass. A wakeful sparrow chirped protestingly at having his rest broken, but the three in- truders made no sound. They crept into the dark shadows of the veranda, and immediately concen- trated their attention upon a window leading into the hall. That they could not have been adepts may- be gathered from the fact that, after they had labored over the work of the glazier and lock- » 0)(0)(6) ANG S (C@