Argosy, Vol. 85, No. 3 — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

,od « . ee \ ite ge ve? HAT are we coming to?” The youth held his three’ companions enthralled by what he had been saying and the fire that flared in his eyes. ‘‘ Where are we going to end?” he continued. ‘“ Food riots have commenced. The mob begins to rule. Next, bomb play will be intro- duced and death—” He threw out his hands in a prophetic gesture. “ That’s the result, fellows,” he went on, growing more voluble in his wildness. “Why, look here. Do you know that the investigation which the Federal govern- ment has been conducting into the high food prices has resulted in the verdict that the prices are occasioned by speculators, food manipulators and that the condi- tions are facilitated by a general car shortage, and all that? And then the commission adjourns without recommend- ing a single remedy. ‘“T tell you, boys, we’ll never get satis- faction in this country, we’ll never ‘rid ourselves of high prices and speculators, until we take drastic measures. Hang a iohting the few of these millionaires who corner the food market and shake millions into their coffers.”’ He paused a minute and _ glanced through the Pullman. Karby, seated three chairs behind the fellow, met his wild eyes with an even but interested stare. | It was apparent that Karby had at first been amused, then infected by the youth’s ardor and enthusiasm. A maga- zine lay face upward across Karby’s knees, but it had gone unread for some moments. <A pretty girl in the chair diagonally opposite had also lowered a book and listened. Her face had changed color slightly at the wild suggestion of capital punishment for food speculators; Karby’s fleeting glance caught the expression, and he vaguely wondered at it as he prepared to hear what further the youth had to ex- pound. It was very evident that his stronger arguments were about to burst forth. He cleared his throat, straightened to a more commanding attitude and stretched forth 498 MICLOO© SS C©