10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

i }0-STORY DETECTIVE offered. ‘‘Algie, meet Miss Felice Fan- cone.” Algie was almost as pale as the young lady. “Felice Fancone!”’ Now he knew why the face had struck him as familiar. Felice Fan- cone! Headliner at the Tivoli! The best-known girl in the city—if not in the country ! Then Algie laughed. “She’s way out of my class, Parsons! Why, I ain’t nothing but a—” “Class, hell!” Parsons gibed him goodnaturedly. “You’re here, ain’t you? And she’s here, ain’t she? That makes you even.” He paused. “‘At that, I don’t think you’d better stay here.”’ Algie smiled hopefully. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll be going—”’ “With Felice!” said Parsons. “With Felice? I—I don’t get you.” “She’s your partner, so you better take her along.” “But I—I—well, she’s dead to the world. And, anyhow, I don’t think she’d want to travel with me. I’m nothing but a cheap working stiff, and she—” “T want her to travel with you,” Parsons said softly. “I'll go with you, just to see nothing goes wrong. And we better get started. She’ll be wak- ing up before long.” “But geez, I—I don’t see why you want me—” But Parsons wasn’t paying any more attention to him. Neither were the others. One of them had pulled a large trunk out from behind the bed. It was empty. They lifted Felice Fan- cone off the bed and laid her in the trunk, then closed it. “She’ll be okay,” Parsons said com- fortably. “Couple of air holes in the head end.” Parsons and Armand carried the trunk into the adjoining room and set it down. Algie noticed that Frank stayed close to him, just behind him. “We're all gonna take a little trip out into the country, Algie. You're going along, see?” Parsons said, calm- ly. “All you got to do is what you’re told. Frank will kind of see that you i don’t do nothing that might hurt my feelings.” “Sure. Anything you say, Parsons,” Algie said. “But—I—I ought to go home.”’ “And quit the party! Say, Felice would be disappointed. Okay, boys.” They left the apartment, and went down the freight elevator, taking the trunk. There didn’t seem to be any trouble about it. Armand and Parsons carried the trunk out of the rear door to the parking space at the back of the building. One of Parsons’ very large cars was there. The trunk was put in the tonneau, and Parsons himself and Sophie got in with it. Armand took the wheel, Frank sat in the front seat, on the outside. Algie sat between them. “Better be quiet, Algie,” Parsons cautioned, in his jovial way. “Better be quiet until we get way out in the country, see? No wisecracks.” “No wisecracks,” Algie agreed, The fact was that, for the first time in his life, he couldn’t have produced wisecracks at a thousand dollars apiece. He couldn’t think of anything to say at all. He was trying to figure out just what sort of a set-up he was in, and getting no answer. They rode out into the country for at least two hours, took a number of. side roads into the foothills, and final- ly stopped at a smal! house, old and deserted, concealed by woods. Algie found he had no idea of the direction they had taken, nor where they were. Inside, some one lit a lamp, Algie looked about. The house was fur- nished in a dilapidated fashion. There were three rooms; kitchen, living room, and bedroom. They were in the living room. “Better open the trunk, boys,” said Parsons. . RANK opened the trunk. Algie : stood back while the others peered in, “She’s coming to,’ Parsons said. “Give her a little cold water.” Armand went to the kitchen and re- Gomichboo <S) (E@