Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 13, 1920 — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

MR. BINGER was going to turn out all right, after all— and the hunch kept getting stronger as he neared his destination. After all, if the auctioneer’s cashier was obdurate, there was always the expedient of taking the fellow into his confidence—whis- pering in his ear the name of the great mil- lionaire he, Parker, represented in this transaction. That ought to do the trick. It was a step to be avoided, of course, if possible, for fear that the man might break faith with him and pass on the information to the newspaper reporters. But better that than to lose the bed altogether. With these reflections to encourage him, Ralph Henry, although exceedingly anx- ious, was feeling almost cheerful when, at 4.25 P.M., he reentered the Marlborough Galleries. . The sale was still going on. From all over the room bids were being hurled at the smiling gentleman on the auctioneer’s ros- trum. Parker listened apprehensively for a mo- ment and exhaled a deep breath of relief as he assured himself that the article being bid for was a Turner landscape, and not a bed. He strode down the aisle to the cashier’s desk. “Well, here I am,” he said, trying to speak nonchalantly. ‘‘So I see,” the man behind the counter rejoined coldly. ‘‘ What can I do for you, sir?” “Do for me! You don’t mean to say that you don’t remember me? I am the party who bought the bed. I have brought you the money, as I promised. That is to say, I have—er—brought a ie I suppose that will be—” “T am sorry, sir, but you are too late,”’ the cashier cut * “The understanding was that you were to be back by 4 P.M. It is now four thirty, and naturally you could not expect us to wait. The bed has been put up for sale again, and has just been bought—by this young lady here.” It was only then that Ralph Henry be- came aware of the presence of the girl at his side. In his excitement he had not noticed her standing there before. She was the young woman who had bid so BUYS A BED. ool determinedly against him—the young: wo- man he had bumped into when he first en- tered the auction-rooms. Their eyes met, and a smile of triumph curved her lips. It seemed to Parker that there was a trace of defiance in her manner. “TI am sorry to disappoint the lady,” he said, turning to the cashier, “ but she can’t have the bed. It is my property, and I object to its being sold over again. If—” ‘ Objection overruled,” the man sneered. “ Go ahead and bring a Teal action against us if you wish, sir. That is your privilege. We are entirely within our rights and are not afraid of your taking the matter into court. Butlet us not have any further dis- cussion about it now, if you please.” ‘“ But if you knew,” Parker began. ‘IT won’t listen to any more arguments,” the cashier interrupted impatiently. He turned to the girl, and his frown dissolved into a smile. ‘ Where do you wish the bed shipped, miss?” he inquired deferentially. “You can send it to this address,’ she said, handing him a card. ‘“‘ I suppose you expect me to pay a deposit. I haven’t the entire amount with me, but I can give you something now, on account, and you can collect the balance when the bed is de- livered.”’ ‘That will be perfectly all right.” ‘““T object,” Ralph Henry began again; then, stopped short, his eyes opening wide with amazement. The young woman had just placed her deposit on the counter. It was a single bank-note, and its denomination was one thousand dollars. It might be merely a coincidence, of course, but it looked startlingly significant to Parker. For from where he stood he could see the serial number on the bill the young woman had just laid down. It was D 40009682A. And the serial number of the thousand- dollar bill that Binger had handed him began with a D, a four, and three ciphers. . He didn’t remember the rest of it, but he was quite positive about the first figures. Until now he had taken it for granted that his pocket had been picked on the sub- way, but at the moment he was not so sure about that. com ebooks (EO)