Argosy, Vol. 85, No. 3 — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

506 to another seeking something that would enliven me, and I found it. ‘*.Never in all my existence have I been so keenly interested in life as now. This exploit has made me. I shall never forget it. Of course, I shall be losing millions by the scheme, but what of it? It is my own money. ‘““ Moreover I am not stupid enough to believe that this one relief store, as I call it, will affect the prices of the country in general. It won’t. It can’t. But it Satisfies me, serves my purpose and some of the people will benefit by it.” “And you would not consider selling out. your eggs to father at the price he named?” “Most decidedly no, Miss Truxton.”’ “Well, remember, Mr. Karby, that I came to you and made you an offer. Don’t forget this. I wanted to give you a chance. You spurned it. Men, Mr. Karby, don’t give up easily, especially when they see their fortunes . slipping’ away, as you threaten to make them slip away. Good-by, Mr. Karby.” Before he could reply she was gone. Karby stared after her, rehearsing her final words and trying to ferret out their hidden meaning. Why had she come to see him? Had old Truxton really offered to buy his eggs or had she come for some other purpose? She had given him a chance. Her final speech hinted at trouble— seemed to insinuate a threat. What did these food speculators mean to do? What scheme had her father con- cocted to thwart him? -And did she know that scheme. Her words sounded as though she did. That night at nine he had the answer. It came by phone and was from one of his special deputies on guard at the store. A mob was collecting about the build- ing, a mob already a thousand strong, a mob that threatened violence, had been stirred up by the news that the goods were stock :which Karby had cornered and that he was going to sell at top notch prices and squeeze the people. : THE ARGOSY. Karby saw it all now. He jumped into his car and headed for the store. IV. Ir the rabble was a thousand strong when the message reached him they had doubled by the time he arrived at the outskirts of the crowd. He parked his machine and proceeded on foot. Whoever had stirred up the mob and had put the riot idea into their heads had dofie a good work for the speculators. There were women in the horde, wild-eyed women, some holding babies in their arms, some leading children by the hand. It was a motley throng, a throng of all nationalities, speaking polyglot tongues. And above all came the cry of “‘ We are hungry, we are hungry!” Alcohol had done its work. Money must have been disbursed freely. The move was hardly one of eleventh hour fomentation, but. had been brewed all through the day, possibly for several days. ‘Karby stood aghast. No one knew him. He was safe. But his heart sank. His two hundred deputies were-on duty, but violence might ensue and death might result. And this Karby wished to ‘avoid. The instigators had done their parts thoroughly. Karby could tell by the stray bits of talk he picked up. A millionaire who had been working for months cornering potatoes, sugar, eggs, was ready to unload on the public at hitherto unheard of high prices. The people were to be robbed. He was one of the causes of the food shortage throughout the country. Karby stood bewildered by what he heard. He listened to threats against his life, violence against the building which housed his provisions, the provisions he had been weeks collecting for the relief of these poor deluded creatures. Karby censured himself for his lack of foresight. If he had only advertised his sales in the Saturday papers instead of ‘waiting until Sunday, all would have been well. But now! To-morrow’s quotations would lead the comicloool C©