The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

FLIRTING WITH DESPERATE HAZARD. ones I can imagine feeling that way about him. Personally, I don’t fancy I'd pick him out at first choice for a lit- tle playmate. But—f it’s all the same to you, I don’t want to be here when he gets back. I sent him out on a fool’s errand. I don’t believe he'll greet me on his return with anything like cor- diality. And so, to avoid trouble—”’ “That's somethin’ you should have thought of before,” judiciously com- inented the fat man. “ You did let him go pikin’ off nowhere lookin’ for noth- in’, didn’t you? If there’s any trouble comin’ to you, why, it appears to me like you. ordered it. You'll have to take your med’cine, bo!”’ Lewis snapped his tongue. “Oh, what’s the good of all this? ” he demanded impatiently. “ Listen to mea minute. You've acted rather more friendly to me than he has. You're a decent-enough fellow at heart, I haven’t a doubt. I don’t think you want to see me go through any tougher sled- ding than I’ve already experienced. Why, that’s the reason you've taken my part, kept that man from cutting loose with me on at least three separate occasions—”’ “Tf that’s worryin’ you any to un- derstand,”’. Pete interjected easily, “why, I can tip you off to the answer there. Figgerin’ you was the guy that did know where this Perkins was hid, and that it was all accordin’ to the way you was handled whether or not you told us the place to find him, I had an idea you'd answer to friendly treat- ment better’n the rough stuff. See? That’s all that amounts to.” The reporter had his ear trained for footsteps’ on the stairs, listening for the ominous tread that might at any moment herald the return of Brady, who had been gone, now, fully a quar- ter of an hour. “ Well,” Lewis breathlessly re- sumed, “ there’s nothing I can do to help you find the man. You see that, don’t you? Then why do you want to keep me here? There must be some- thing back of it. Surely you aren’t 135 afraid of your partner. It isn’t be- cause you don't dare let me go, fearing what he’ll do or say when he gets back to find I’m no longer here—”’ Pete spat once more cuspidor. “Funny,” said he, “ you can’t guess why I’m so anxious to hold on to you. Ain’t there no glimmer of the reason shot into your brain yet? A mighty important one, that you’d be sure to think of yourself if you was in the place of my pal and me.” “It’s beyond me,” Lewis confessed. “ Why, you’ve got it all framed up in your mind,” the other nodded com- fortably, “that you’re goin’ to walk out of this room, free as the day, in just about five minutes more—that is, if you have luck talkin’ me around to lettin’ you skip out before Brady comes —ain’t that right? My, my! You must have me figgered for a sleep- into the 6 walker. That’s what it is—you think I ain’t awake!” The reporter regarded him in puzzled fashion. “T simply can’t fathom any sensible reason why you should want to keep me here after this—”’ “ After this? ’’ echoed the fat man. “ After this—why, bo, that’s where the bet lies, exactly. We blabbed our game to you, didn’t we? Well, now you know too much to be let loose. So—you'll stay a while, that’s all.” Lewis threw back his head. “TI won’t whisper a word of what you've told me to a soul,” he promised, drawing a breath of relief now that he knew where the hitch came in. “ Yeah—a fine chance,” sniffed Pete. “A fine chance you’d keep your mouth shut—and you a reporter! ”’ “TI give you my word—’ Lewis began. The other put his fingers to his ear, and drew them away with a wag of his head. “Yes,” said he—“ yes, [’m gettin’ the ear-ache. Just for a little while, maybe you’d beter close your trap— now. You're only wastin’ your breath, cComicbooks CO