10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

By Vincent Hartnett Lefty the Dip, wise guy, figured it would be duck soup toroll fo 6 thai old gent. But Lefty did net realize that it’s oniy one sty b from soup to stir. < EFTY the Dip : slipped into the vacant seat next to the pink old gentleman with the pearl stickpin, and there were sun- shine and music in his heart, On the city streets above the subway tracks, snow lay damp and chilling. But Lefty in imagination was already soaking up Miami sun- shine, Two pockets picked earlier in the evening had yielded about twenty-five dollars in cash, And Lefty, looking sidewise at the bulge in the old gent’s breast pocket, knew that this fish was good for fifty dollars at least. Truly, luck was with him. Here was his trainfare to the South. Best of all, the old gent was nap- ping. Down would go the pink chin on the yellow tie, and then—as the cars bent round a curve—up would come the white head with a jerk. It was ideal. Lefty’s heart skipped. But he would -not rush the job. Eight months in stir had once been the price of a rush job. Down at the other end of the car, the subway guard leaned against the door and looked listlessly at the - crowded ear. “Dumb,” thought Lefty. Lefty planned what to do. Wait a few minutes until they came to a sharp turn. Then jostle the old gent, while his fingers snaked for the wallet. Slide it out of that breast pocket, up his own coat sleeve—ah, that was the - technique! He smiled. The ts a slumbered. ey, Lefty’s eyes fluttered up to the “a a cards. Soup, macaroni, chewing gum ioe ae —why didn’t they have something aes eS new? Wait, what was this one? = “Strange But True,” the heading — ran. “Some snakes are poisonous — enough to kill a man in less than There was a dramatic pietaae: ‘of a eee rattlesnake, poised to sink inch-long — Sos fangs into an old man asleep in Me lawn chair. Gee Lefty read on. “Pigs are immune to a if Wee we: et eee i " ture. One snake was biting a smi aI ie one. He bent forward to read -the smaller print. “One snake will — ee Pee times strike and kill another sna ke.” Rens aera EFTY dragged his ee se eyes from the eard. Why didthey have to tell you creepy things like TERE RS that? He shuddered—something had * touched him on the shoulder. No, a fe was all right. Just the old gent’s head, Lefty stared at the man. It struck x 2 = . Lefty that he looked like the old gent — = BE Se in the picture—the one about to be ~~ bitten by the rattler, Lefty’s mind: Sea played with the thought. Old gent— os é snake. Why, that would make him ae i snake! He was going to roll the “ a os gent while he was asleep. on Car wheels clattered. Lights flick- a See ered. People went.on reading ne = Pa ‘| ; vt At sist at > But then a funny thing happened— ~~ something that hadn't apEpenes sors ae twenty years. | 2 as : Lefty the Dip, Lefty the wlak guy, = i felt a pang of remorse. His cOneCenGS SaaS began to kick. — See ee ge os was a Se secltng, It t hogan SRE te oe ae