Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

station with him, and just as the vas Starting says to him: ‘ So-long, k ake good care of yourself.’ ” , He couldn’t have got off that train this sid . of Rahway or nothin’ like that—could j Consternation was fast crowding surprise from Connors’s face. There was no mis- taking the assurance with which Emile had asked his question. “ What do you mean—this side of Rah- way?” Connors blustered. “I mean that Captain Jake never went to Washington, but came right back to New York, after he kissed you good-by. I mean that he cleared for Boston last Tuesday. His old tub hit the Sound just about the time you thought he’d be asking the Secretary of State for a little more demi-tasse.”’ Connors clutched the bar to steady him- self. His implicit faith in Captain Jake was shaken. He began to understand why a full week had slipped by without receiv- ing any word from him. “I’m good for ap-a-plexy,” he moaned. * And me thinking that this international bunk was easy money. Listen, Emile, there ain’t no foreign government tremblin’ wit’ nervous prostration on account of what Jake brought to New York and wished on me. No easy money—no nothing. Do you know what that swab-eared Jake’s last words to me was?” ““ What?” «¢ Chink-nail,’ said he, ‘ before the end of the week, you and I will be up at the Hoft- man House, eating with a certain foreign ambassador. We'll’ be exchanging the re- sults of my per’lous voyage for real money.’ That’s what he says to me, and of course, _ Emile, I was going to look after your 1n- terests, I was. There I was, saying to my- Emile’s got to be in on this—and—”’ Sure,” interrupted Emile, who was sat- 1 with the progress he was making. nd here I’ve been flossied by the man sd to call ‘Uncle’ at my mother’s snished Connors with a sigh that sion and uncertainty. b aS ~~ | 8 be Se eo a> | “A _ ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. fied, as he beckoned for Connors to accom- pany him to the back room. The crestfallen autocrat obeyed without protest. “ Sit down,” said Emile, pulling a chair up to one of the tables. Then he leaned across the board and motioned for Connors to draw near. Ef i Jake told the truth,” he whispered. You've got a fortune right in your hands —something that can be turned into gold— do you get it? Gold, I say!” “Nice words, Emile, and I gives you credit. You mean all right.” ; “Tm all right and I can prove it, but first I want to ask you a question: Where do I come in on this? Seems to me that my interests what you was talking about ought to be understood.” Emile, if I could trust my bartender as easy as he can trust his boss we wouldn't need no lawyer. I’m square—I got to be— you have been giving me quotations right off my own stock ticker. You gets half.” “All right—now, listen. Those sailors came into this port on Captain Jake’s schooner—didn’t they>?”’ “IT suppose so.” “Very well. They say that everything is straight. I talked with them for a half hour.” Connors winced. “ This is our chance to check him up. Where did Jake say he began this vovage?”’ ‘ Said that he beat it up from the Gulf of Guinea,” answered Connors, chewing on the unlighted stub between his teeth. ‘“ That agrees with my information— what next?” Connors paused before answering. It flashed through his mind that in reality he was giving Emile more information than he was receiving. “ Made his first stop at the Azores,’ he finally replied. “Correct. Now get this—they were at Faval, where Jake’s got more friends than he has in New York, and one of his pals there tipped him off that the Portuguese gov'm’t was burnin’ up the cables with mes- sages to look out for a certain schooner that was making for the States and to delay its sailing—by all means.” comicbooks.com