Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 4 — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

570 a picture. Then he let go of @ long sigh and sat there like the principal part in a ‘popular funeral. I leaned over. “ What’s doing?” I says, sort of offhand? Ed had the file open to a bald-headed guy who was wanted somewhere for something that I couldn’t make out, because he closed up on me like a clam and tossed the darned thing over to the other side of the desk. ‘Qh, nothing,” he came back in an off- hand voice, and then the president walked in. and handed us the fifteen grand. We rose and paid our respects, and promised to pay back the money. Then we started back to the Fake-Shop. T never saw a man who could change so fast as Ed Steele. Fifteen minutes before he had been laughing like a rube with a joke-book. Now he was as sour as a pickle factory. I grabbed him by the shoul- der and swung him around. ‘‘ What’s eating on you?” Ed just gave me one look and walked on. ‘“‘ My conscience,”’ he says. “About what?” “Lucius ”—and I thought he was going to die that minute—‘“ you don’t understand complicated things.” “Nope. But I can make a stab at it. What’s—” . “Tt’s awful. Awful!’ We were almost to the Fake-Shop now. “I never had a heavier burden on my mind than right now. mgs ‘“ But what is it? What the—” We’d turned in the door by this time, and a few guys were standing around and ‘talking wasn’t very easy. Something ’d happened; I could see that sticking out all over. But what was it? Every time I got a chance, I slid over to - the fake-table where Ed was shining up his gewgaws and tried to draw it out of him. But he’d only stand there and stare at me. Once his face lighted up and he said: ‘‘ Lucius, a man with a conscience has got faith. And a man with faith has got a tremendous advantage. And maybe faith will find a way.” ‘To what?” But he shook his head again. “It’s too complicated, Lucius.” | You can’t do anything with a guy like THE ARGOSY. that. skinned a few suckers, trying all the time to think back and see if I could figure out what ’d happened. And the more I figured, the more I realized that Ed’s glumness had started about the time he saw that reward- sheet. But why that should cut any ice was more ’n I could figure. I didn’t know any bald-headed guys who were in trouble. And what if I did? It was a cinch that neither one of ’em was us—and the rest didn’t make any difference. After a while Ed went out of the Fake- Shop and stalled around with a few of his pals; and it gave me more time to think. And the more [I thought, the more I won- dered about that bald-headed guy. But it didn’t do me much good. I tried to get another whack at Ed, but there wasn’t anything stirring. He didn’t come back to the emporium of chance until after he’d eaten his snack and was ready for the evening’s distribution. I’d have given a half-year’s growth to see what was in his eyes; but no use. There was a gang around the wheel, and I was too busy raking in the shekels. | ) The time went by and eight o’clock came. And with it, in sailed Horace Q. Keever, with a grip in one hand and the other fishing for the bundle of bills in a coat-pocket. ‘Just thought I’d say so-long,” he greeted me. “ Got to get away on the eight twenty-one, and I’ve just got time for one spin of the wheel. So let’s make it a fat one.” ‘“You’re on,” I came back. “ Why not play the star number?” “You mean the one that 11 break the house if I win?” “Oh, hardly that bad,” I came back. “ But Pl admit it ‘ll bend us a bit.” “Tm on.” He tossed the bundle of money on the table, and the crowd jammed up to see the play. I gave the stuff the once over under cover and saw that the certificate was there, and looked up kind of smiling in Horace Q.’s face. There was something about that face that was familiar! But I couldn’t grab it. I tried again. Nothing doing. There was something I ought to be able to recognize; but J couldn’t make it. I gave the wheel a spin and put on I went back to the roulette-wheel and. COnniclooo S (C(O)