10-Story Detective Magazine, April 1946 — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

HITCHHIKE TO A HANGNOOSE moment. He began picking away at his buttons. When the exchange was completed, Dale grunted, “You’re drivin’. And if you so much as look funny, Ill plug you. _ Drive back to the place where you found me.” Joe drove that way grimly. Dale sat well away from him. And he knew that ugly little pistol was pointed directly at him. Trying to beat Dale’s trigger finger again would be a suicide tactic. He could feel cold sweat touching his | forearms with small probing fingers. His stomach had the tight hollow feeling he had known in the agonizing moments before battle action. Well, Pop had told him the trip was a fool idea, If he hadn’t tried to go so far in one week end, he’d not have been sleepy and tired. He’d not have needed a hitchhiker’s company to stimulate him, he thought wearily. But there must be some way out of this situation. He should be thinking about that, instead of— Perversely, his muddled mind rambled to thoughts of the ear, of the heart- break its loss would cause the kid broth- er. Phil was still in the high school brack- et, This car was his proudest possession, and of course, an important social asset. The kid had just got over his shyness with girls, and lately the coupé had furnished a setting for some high pow- ered woo-pitching. Once the kid had soberly philoso- phized. to him, “Girls are funny, Joe. There’s none of ’em that don’t really go for a bit of hugging. But they sure all hate to admit it, That’s why I rigged up this little gimmick in the ear, where the gas line runs down past the starter button.” The coupe’s gas tank was installed nuder the cowling ahead of the wind- shield. Joe had traced the gas line down with his eye, until his glance stopped on Phil’s gimmick. “What is it?” he ~ had asked the kid. “Just a valve lever. I can kick if on or off with my foot. When it’s off, the engine’ll run about a mile, then start | eoughing for more gas, If I’ve got a girl out, I act like it’s engine trouble.” He grinned. “That way, she’s still got her pride, see? But you can just bet we look B FUTURE IN { REFRIGERATION 30/ | AIR CONDI baci A Refri ati Alr Conditioning are.» : popes eee of Aeon x need men who KNOW, G installing equip~ , START NOW TOWARD A 3 tical, tae Sea, later ve wn i Bolow Vostays Practical In eae Training You'llilike ourwa Soon actual euipaiont ender watch tah ey neteoetion watehfabeyes of aea- followed practloo-on uatiness e cei Saarfaiee= wwe RO ity SONGWRITERS We are interested in all types of song poems and lyrice, Send uo youre for F examination, ii accepted Motion Picture Songwriter will collab- orate you, FI N > EXPERIENCE, Write to Paramount Song-Recording Stedio,. Dept. T-7, Box 190, » Helly sood, Cal, INCOLN AND INDIAW BEAD PENWES WANTED | PAY Psi EACH = isiconn PEANIESI Ail ou rare bits, panos ice $08 for Be si aa citer EXCANGE, {-AFM, Colambus 5, OMe § DETECTIVES S—FINGERPRINTS TRAININ INVESTEC iNT ER ATIONAL, “peTeRtI ‘oyeren 1702-2 Tkonnoe st brie Syste » 43 Please niention Acw Fiorion Group when answering advertisemente COMichbooksThco