Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-09-16


what is 1t this timer" l growled
at him.
Not line in his face changed. His
eyes dropped to the crushed tobacco
on the floor for moment, then rii&ed
to mine. He lighted his own cigar
carefully.
'Jim," he began in that never.
changing voice." remember the day
on the circus grounds that you hit me
for a job? took you then because
you looked like a boy who had his
temper buried so deep under his COM
mon sense that it'd never dig its way
out. Temper is what gets men in
Jail, Jim; childish, senseless temper
has sent men to the electric chair. I
don't want to see yours again, JIM"
"What dye want?" There was
viciousness in my voice, and he recog-
waver of the cigar smoke that curled
from his lips.
"I've got job for you" They
were the same words that he had
used over the telephone, and in the
same voice.
81 won't take it. I'm going to stay
right here in New York for a week."
"This job is in New York" He
was idly sletching on the big blotter
as he always did when talking
"Why can't one of the other boys
do it?" belched.
"None here" He added another
line to the sketch.
"Let rat-face do it, then. He looks
ero"gh like crook to do anything"
He's just what he looks" cane
idly from the bent head. You're not
what you look"
"Out with it," I snarled impa.
tiently. "Gct it over with"
He drew scratch-pad toward him
and went on with his Internal sketch.
ing.
ITS easy money, Jim, the easiest
money you've been up against in
long time. Good money, too; a nice
bit for you, Jim, and the boob is dead
anxious to fall. It's that two hundred
and fifty thousand old Walton has"
Heavens! saw red then, The dan
cling devils glibbered before my eyes!
That old mans money! The money
that girl was guarding! The money
those simple old people down south
were waiting for!
Darn your rotten SOUL" must
have screamed it; but the door was
thick, and rat-face knew his job.
jumped at him, fingers itching for
the feel of his windpipe between
them. The blued-steel gun he whipped
from somewhere jabbed itself into my
stomach as l ran against the barrel
1t didn't give an inch, nor a fraction
of an inch.
The blank eyes looked into mine,
the gray smoke curled from the cigar
end in thin, mistaken line. 1t was
only second that we stood like that:
l shaking with the madness that
seethed inside of me, he with not a
quiver of an eyelash. Then Topped
into my chair like the dirty rag was.
"Ill see you in Hades first!" l
snarled senselessly.
The pencil went to work again, just
as though I were a hundred miles
away, and there wasn't even con-
temptuous look in the eyes Of Mike
Garven.
"I've been watching that money for
some time," he went on as though
there had been no interruption. "Ive
been waiting for it to be ready for de-
livery. 1t is"
My painting breath was all that
broke the silence of the pause. He'd
been watching! Every minute that I'd
reveled in my new-found happiness
this blank-eyed, rotten-souied vulture
had been watching for his opportuni-
ty. Every minute of my innocence
had been paving the way for his dew
lish work.
"As you probably know, old man
Walton's great ambition in life has
been to make the power-plant on the
Little Hazel river a cooperative con-
Germ in which he and his neighbors
were to share the profits
neighbors are even worse, or that
they haven't the business ability Of
soft-shell crabs has never occurred to
him.
ut did to me when first heard of
the idea. I sent man down there to
look 1t over. There was no way Of
getting the money then without trou-
BILE. But l learned everything, and
knew just what they would do. I
brought, the proposition to the notice
Of the Swelton Company"
"Are you trying to make me be-
lieve that the Swelton firm would
have anything to do with crook like
you or me?" / sneered.
IL thought I'd taught you the use
of unconscious accomplices, Jim.
Your temper has made you forget It,
/ guess"
Why didn't he put some expression
in that voice-sarcasm, contempt, or
command? It's monotonous sameness
made me grit my teeth as l sat there.