Strictly Business: More Stories of the Four MillionHenry, O.
Philosophy
Strictly Business: More Stories of the Four Million
Henry, O.
New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
In “Pigeon” McCarthy’s pocket was a section of one-inch gas-pipe eight
inches long. In one end of it and in the middle of it was a lead plug.
One-half of it was packed tight with solder. Black Riley carried a
slung-shot, being a conventional thug. “One-ear” Mike relied upon a
pair of brass knucks—an heirloom in the family.
“Why fetch and carry,” said Black Riley, “when some one will do it for
ye? Let him bring it out to us. Hey—what?”
“We can chuck him in the river,” said “Pigeon” McCarthy, “with a stone
tied to his feet.”
“Youse guys make me tired,” said “One-ear” Mike sadly. “Ain’t progress
ever appealed to none of yez? Sprinkle a little gasoline on ’im, and
drop ’im on the Drive—well?”
Fuzzy entered the Millionaire’s gate and zigzagged toward the softly
glowing entrance of the mansion. The three goblins came up to the gate
and lingered—one on each side of it, one beyond the roadway. They
fingered their cold metal and leather, confident.
Fuzzy rang the door-bell, smiling foolishly and dreamily. An atavistic
instinct prompted him to reach for the button of his right glove. But
he wore no gloves; so his left hand dropped, embarrassed.
The particular menial whose duty it was to open doors to silks and
laces shied at first sight of Fuzzy. But a second glance took in his
passport, his card of admission, his surety of welcome—the lost
rag-doll of the daughter of the house dangling under his arm.
Fuzzy was admitted into a great hall, dim with the glow from unseen
lights. The hireling went away and returned with a maid and the Child.
The doll was restored to the mourning one. She clasped her lost darling
to her breast; and then, with the inordinate selfishness and candor of
childhood, stamped her foot and whined hatred and fear of the odious
being who had rescued her from the depths of sorrow and despair. Fuzzy
wriggled himself into an ingratiatory attitude and essayed the idiotic
smile and blattering small talk that is supposed to charm the budding
intellect of the young. The Child bawled, and was dragged away, hugging
her Betsy close.
There came the Secretary, pale, poised, polished, gliding in pumps, and
worshipping pomp and ceremony. He counted out into Fuzzy’s hand ten
ten-dollar bills; then dropped his eye upon the door, transferred it to
James, its custodian, indicated the obnoxious earner of the reward with
the other, and allowed his pumps to waft him away to secretarial
regions.
James gathered Fuzzy with his own commanding optic and swept him as far
as the front door.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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