The Argosy, April 1916 — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

94 One of the men was a hired chauffeur, ‘but the three others were members of the Bull Pup gang: “Phony” Mahony, Pat Caf- arelli and Tony Ross—all of them, accord- ing to Tom’s private books, in bad standing. “Oh, hello!” he said quietly, in response to their loud cries of greeting, and shook hands with them one by one. “Pretty soft!” exclaimed Mahoney, as he looked over the pleasant scene without evi- dent pleasure. ‘‘You’re a fine piece o’ cheese!” blurted Cafarelli. “Did you think you could string the gang along forever,. dropping in once in a while and actin’ like a plain guy, an’ then sneakin’ off here an’ living like Andy Car- negie?”’ “Cut that!” ordered Tom sharply. ‘I’ve always minded my own business, and I’ve got a pair o’ hands that can make others keep out of it. If you fellers have come to make a call, all right, but if you butt in here and start any rough stuff, I know what to do.” Little Tony Ross—a weak brother— looked grieved. : “T ain’t here to pull any rough stuff, Tom,” he whined, “but I don’t think you done right. "Member what Sam Haas done, fellers, when his cousin lef’ five hundred to ‘im? He give a swell dance in Turn Verein Hall, an’ a high-class feed, jus’ fer the gang and their girls. An’ when he was through, he had ’bout ten bones lef’——he was broke. That’s what poor-old Sam Haas done when he got money.” “Tt’s different, when ye pull down a few million,” growled Mahony. “It makes ye a tightwad right off—can’t loosen up the price of a beer fer the fellers that ain’t got nothing.” ~ “Don’t cry all over the place!” protested Tom. “If you want to know what’s the matter, I’ll tell you. I kept this business all under my hat because I knew too much about some o’ you lazy grafters. Now that the film is released, so to speak, you can find out, if you want to, that good old Stripes Tinney knows all about it. ‘“‘He’s done his bit up the river, but he was the only guy in the crowd I could trust. I’m not boasting, but I came across right away with something more than the price of a beer. You all been trying to find out where Meyer David got the fifteen hundred to save ‘im from losing his lunch room business. Well, Stripes Tinney slipped it to him, and I gave it to Stripes to slip to THE ARGOSY. him. It put Meyer on his feet, and if he hadn’t got it he’d prob’ly gone and cracked a crib or something. “Old Slick Riordan’s widow is in a charity hospital, sick and broke, and I sent her five hundred by Stripes, to get her a proper place and the right kind of doctors, and she’ll get more when she needs it. I’ve got plenty more to hand out to the proper, de- serving parties, but you three guys—I -wouldn’t loosen up on the price of a shot of ‘coke’ for one of you!” “Oh, what’s the use of all this stew?” moaned Tony Ross dismally. ‘We come up here, all the whole way from New York, in one 0’ Mike Dugan’s autos, jus’ ter pay ye a friendly visit, Tom. Can’t yer be a little hos-pit-able, now we’re here?” Pender laughed harshly. “T’ll feed you and give you beds for to- night without any kick,” he said, “but you re not invited to stay here after to-mor- row morning. And I don’t want to hear an- other peep about what I’ve done or haven’t done. Tell your chauffeur to run his car into the garage, and my chauffeur will take care of ‘im for the night.” “He’s a good guy!” protested Cafarelli; “can’t he come in with us?” ‘No, he can’t,” said Pender curtly; ‘‘there’s proper quarters provided for serv-- ants here. Now, come in the house, you fel- lers, and we’ll have dinner pretty soon.” While the scandalized butler was direct- ing a footman to show the guests to their respective rooms, Pender went to the study and spoke to Ashburton, who was reading there. oe “If you don’t mind,” he said, “I’ll have your dinner sent to your room, Ashburton. There’s three rough-necks come from New York to see me, and you wouldn’t care to meet them.” The dinner was a new ordeal for Pender, and he flushed whenever he met his butler’s eye. He allowed the guests champagne, as a concession to their strictures on his liber- ality, and they drank deeply until they for- got their wide-eyed wonderment at the mag- nificence of the room and became character- istically familiar and boisterous. During dessert they attested with ribald cheers that their host was a “good guy.” Pender marched them grimly to the bil- liard-room and prevailed on them to amuse themselves there for a while, but the wine- soothed Pat Cafarelli smoked his fourth large cigar with great vigor and strayed COMmiclboo S (©