The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

LOOSING THE TEMPEST. “But something should be done about the island,” I persisted. “It is possible that he may have the right of possession.” Ordway wriggled the toes of his shoes and grunted. “Do you remember the day he said that when he wanted a thing he went and got it?” “Yes,” I answered. recollection.” “Very well, then. If he wants Orsgov, he'll go take it. He wanted Alma Sanderman, and he took her. I recall a spot nearer to the equator than the island of Orsgov where, under the spreading palm, a soothing feast is spread and—anyway, we've got to get our own affairs in shape. We have a few friends in America, I believe, and there is the lease on that place in Norway.” . “ Shall we give it up? You are not, evidently, in favor of going back there.” He looked as fierce as Crusoe. “Go back and live on the bounty of the ice trust for weeks? Nix. I tried that once. Ice is good to cool beer with, or put in a highball. But as a steady diet and place of residence, excuse me.” How long our badinage would have lasted I don’t know, but at that mo- ment Morley entered. “T leave for New York to-morrow,” he said. ‘I have come to have a last talk with you. Everything, so far as your island fiend is concerned, is set- tled. The Centropolis Bank cables that, with the exception of five thousand dollars spent in advertising for the original Donaldson, the estate is intact. The Dakota mines amount to nothing. But the man is well fixed for life. Nicasse has made a signed statement confirming everything the prefect of police told us. Sanderman refuses to make a complaint in America against Joloff, so there will be no litigation.” “What about the island?” I asked. “Can Crusoe make a claim to own- ership?” ““T have a 19 “Fudge! The island of Orsgov has been a neglected property of Denmark so long everybody forgot it. He doesn’t need it.” “What about Joloff and Miss San- derman? ” “Tm a lawyer. I do not solve riddles. But if I were Joloff, I'd get out of sight.”’ “What about the identification of the man as somebody?” “That will probably take some time. We've got to look up the history of the Voluna, and learn what the Danish authorities know about it.” Morley was in a hurry, and I was glad to see him go. He was not gone ten minutes when somebody else was admitted. A man about sixty years of age, something between six and a half and seven feet high, well dressed, straight and square-shouldered, wearing a grin, and leading a handsome woman nearly his own age, came and shook a paper in my face, then in Ordway’s. “So! You two gentlemen of Amer- -1ca conspire to deprive us of the only pleasure that is left to us in this world. Where is he?” ~- “What's the matter, Danbard?” I asked. I recognized in the visitor an Amer- ican wrestler of gigantic strength, fa- mous in the United States and Europe when Ordway and I were boys and feverish for the delights of encounters in the ring. “Where is he? boy?” ‘“ Your—beg pardon—I—” Ordway loomed up, almost intelli- gent. “Do you mean the islander? The fellow who has become the celebrity of two continents? ”’ “The same. Permit me to introduce my wife, the mother of your celebrity.” I gasped fof breath. I managed, however, to get enough to speak. “ But,” I stammered, “ how can you be sure? There are no identifying marks. Only the clothes he wore when Where is my little CoOMmicbook CO