10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

“These things are pretty rotten with dust, but I can wash ’em in a net and they won’t tear to pieces. I’ll just put this note on the outside, see? You tell Joe Beggs, the driver, to handle this bundle carefully and de- liver it right to me. I’ll have ’em all back to you by Wednesday sure.” “Fine, Johnny. You know, John- ny, you're a very efficient young man. Taking all those pains for me with just cheap cheesecloth counter cov- ers and scrim curtains shows you’re a good business man. Maybe some day you’ll own that laundry yourself. Lots of the boys here in town would like to see that. You ever speak to sam Peterson about buying in with him? He’s getting old, you know.” Mr. Riker nodded sagely as he eyed Ship Dowst. Slip almost said, “Nuts with a damn laundry!” but he caught him- self. “N-no,” he said. “Hadn’t thought of it. Takes money, you knew, and I haven’t got much.” “Well, Johnny, keep it in mind. Maybe I can—” A customer entering the store claimed the jeweler’s attention at that moment. Slip Dowst, grinning as he knew the jeweler would expect, waved and walked out. On the sidewalk Slip sniffed in disgust. Own that damn Turkish bath place they called a laundry! Cripes! That meant swimming in sweat all day long. Sure, there was money in it, but who wanted to get tied down to a hick burg like Westview? Wait till he had those rocks in his pocket and was in the Big Town. Jeeze! Wine, women and plenty of song. Westview! He spat contemptuously into the gutter. LIP wasn’t even blowing hard when he returned to the Board of Trade dinner after the robbery. It had been even more of a cinch than he had expected. All Westview stores close nici Saturday evening during the hot ——MEMO FROM THE BIG HOUSE———_——_————_47 | weather. It was something Slip fig- ured on, for he knew the downtown streets would be practically desert- ed—which they were. He managed to get into the jewelry store building from the roof of the adjoining build- ing, going through a window which was easily jimmied. The door at the head of the stairs was quickly opened merely by slip- ping his knife blade between the door edge and the framing and forcing the bolt. The steel shutters outside the display windows were in place, mak- ing it impossible for anyone outside to see in. The old Monarch safe was as easily and quickly opened as a can of pork and beans. After the door was opened, Slip had no difficulty finding the diamonds. They were in a little drawer by them- selves, scores of them, and in a paste- board box were a ruby, several small emeralds and a rather large pearl. It was a nice haul, Slip chortled, and worth fully the ten thousand dollars he had estimated. Slip quickly relocked the safe and untied the bundle of dirty counter covers, still on the floor where he had left it several hours before. He placed the small package of jewels in the center of the bundle and tied it up again. Then he crept up the stairs and out the window to the adjoining roof. The elapsed time Slip Dowst was away from the Odd Fellows Hall was exactly twenty-seven minutes. Saun- tering in, Slip walked from group to group. He talked for a minute or two with each, then left for others. He could tell that he had net been missed and knew that in this throng of over two hundred there would be any num- ber who would swear in court that he had been on hand all evening. Slip laughed in triumph. The bell rang for dinner and the crowd of men rushed for seats. The women hovered in the background, ready to serve. Ship Dowst’s heart beat a bit faster when he saw ed : smiling at him. But satahet ~ x ms “Ecomicboo cS Eo iio ¥> Fitts h