Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 2 — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

CLOTHES ing to do, except kill time, until business hours to-morrow.” The. other hesitated. He was all of twenty years older than Jack, decidedly portly and florid. Undoubtedly he was owner of the car. “Tf you could drive me to West End and Eighty-Third—” | Jack swung up Tenth Avenue, and in the Sixties cut back west to Eleventh. In New York, where streets change their names and start all over again, Eleventh becomes West End as a mark of an abrupt metamorphosis in character. Eleventh contains the New York Central freight tracks, is lined with warehouses, gas tanks, and similar necessary but undignified civic edifices. It is known, familiarly, as ‘“ Death Avenue.” West End, however, is the most exclusive street of the residential West Side, with the possible exception of its neighbor, the Drive. the apartment indicated by his passenger Jack stopped and waited for his dismissal. ‘‘ You—you are sure you have nothing to do right away—?” There was a note of gratitude in the autoist’s voice. He des- cended to the walk and turned to face the younger man.. “ Not a thing!”” Jack smiled. “Then—if you could wait just a few -minutes—” Sentences beginning with “if ” and falling away to an unspoken finish ‘seemed to be his outstanding characteristic. He hurried into the apartment.. Jack .surveyed the street. He was not familiar with this particular neighborhood, but it seemed to him that many of the buildings were new. He examined the fit- tings of the car, as luxurious, probably, as money could make them. A week before he had drawn the pay check which had enabled him to return to New York. For a month he had worked in a Baltimore shipyard, as a common laborer; and had lived in an in- credibly uncomfortable boarding-house. The contrast amused him. He laughed, aloud. | ‘‘ Shades of Horatio Alger, Jr.!’’ he mut- tered. When the owner of the car returned—it was hardly fifteen minutes—he carried a heavy suitcase. Staggering almost, he hur- ried to place it in the rear of the machine. | FOR A WEEK. At there it little danger. 281 There, he covered it carefully with the robes -and sought to make it as inconspicuous as possible. Then he took his seat in front with Jack. ‘“‘You—you are sure you have nothing to doa Jack, starting the engine, shook his head. ‘““Tf—if I-pointed out the roads—”’ ‘““T know every road, every lane—” laughing—‘ within two hundred miles of New York City in any direction!” ‘““Then—if you know the way to White Piains—Mt. Kisco—Brewster?”’ ‘* Yessir!” In a moment they were under way. Up- per Broadway was changed only here and there to Jack; Van Cortlandt Park seemed the same as the day he had driven around and around interminably, reaching the de- cision to abandon his prospects and sacri- fice his success. Now his act seemed cowardly to him. At that time he had felt that he could not, under any circumstances, stay and face his friends and business associates. He had double-checked the plans for the building. His was the responsibility, since it was his reputation on which the owners had banked. Because he had never made a mistake he— because of a growing fear:that he might do sO some day twice. Yet the roof had collapsed, a huge foun- dry span, and two men had been killed out-. right while a number of others had been seriously injured. The stresses had been miscalculated! And— He was recalled to present things By his passenger. They had mounted out of the park into the road to White Plains. “Tf—if you could go Laven, very fast—” Smiling, Jack depressed the throttle joy- ously. It had been dusk as they started and dark as they entered the park. In fast night driving there is a keen thrill known only to the motorist. He need not know his road. With his lights bright, his nerves steady, and his motor running smoothly, The light ahead is a better warning than a horn in the daylight. The curves, with practice, may be judged with a fine accuracy.. Above.all, the mant- NOOK C@