Argosy, Vol. 85, No. 3 — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

AMERICANS thing, and it’s all so big that I haven’t quite comprehended it even yet! That man is the most dangerous enemy the United States has in all Guanama!”’ Leaning back in his favorite chair, gnawing his cigar, he gave five minutes to. a contemplation of the book-shelves, eventually to sit erect and shrug his shoulders with: “Third degree, I guess!” ce What?” "“ Tt isn’t nice, of course, but I don’t know that Jones demands any consider- ation, Steve. physical coward, too, and somehow, after we’ve hammered him around that garage for a little, I believe he’ll be in shape to confess all he knows!”’ “And then?” ‘““ Then we lock him up in the garage again, my boy, and send a new report to Washington. Oh, it’s bizarre and un- lawful and all that sort of thing; I understand that much perfectly. But we’re Americans after all, Steve, and for the sake of the United States I think it’s the proper caper,” smiled Mr. Hemmett and gazed affectionately at his own brawny fist. ‘“‘ Come along, old man.” Be it admitted that Stephen Girton did not seek to stay him with protests. Stephen flexed his own hands and sighed lightly-—and thus they advanced upon the ill-starred William Jones, all unaware of the elemental forces he had unleashed and which were about to alter his physical appearance and, perhaps, his mental state as well. ‘When this door opens,” said Mr. Hemmett as he slipped the key into the lock, ‘‘ he is due to make a dive straight out that way! Stand there, Steve, and grab him.” ‘Mr. Girton bent forward alertly. The door slid back—and Mr. Girton’s pose was unaltered! Nor, after several sec- onds, had he gripped Mr. Jones. And new the door was wide open, and the whvle interior of the garage was visible, even to the seat of the runabout—and while the garage held a pretty little He has the eye of a AFTER ALL. 307 American car and several kinds of grease and a work-bench and tools and a rack for the light robes, it gave no indication whatever that William Jones existed on earth! CHAPTER IX. THE VANISHED JONES. T occurred to Hemmett that William Jones was hiding in the runabout, ready to make a dash for freedom. He crouched, therefore, and covered the two yards with a queer little spring; he reached over the dashboard with both hands—and clutched a quantity of Gua- naman air! “He isn’t there; I could have told you that—lI’ve been able to lecok across the car since I stood outside,” Girton said somewhat faintly. ‘But we-—-but we locked him up here!’? Hemmett stammered. “We certainly did, and just as certain- ly he is not locked up here now, Ned,” the retired secretary agreed. ‘ Don’t stand there with your mouth open like that. Ramon is watching you from the house.” ‘Well, if Ramon has his eye this way, perhaps—”’ Mr. Hemmett began. The butler was approaching, his small, dark countenance lined with perturbation. He came to the garage itself and bobbed his head respectfully. “There is something wrong?” he asked. ‘‘ He was, after all, not the chauf- feur of the senor?”’ “What?” “Ay de mi! The fault is mine!” the butler confessed emotionally. ‘‘ He came but to steal, yet because of his splendid clothing I have thought that he was, as he said, the new chauffeur of the sefior!”’ ‘What did he—do, Ramon?” Hem- mett asked with some difficulty. ‘“He did but come to the kitchen, senor, and ask most courteously for the key to the garage, five minutes back! He said that Sanchez, because of his inso- MICLOOOK C©