Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

Zozomee out the old-fashioned necklace and made off, leaving nothing disturbed. “This way saves argument,” said Guin- nell. ‘Particularly as Kase doesn’t know that I know about his private treasure- chest.” There was no time to be lost and the road- ster zipped all the way back to the Harrison Websters’. THE servant who got ten dollars @ and the convincing ‘assurance that see it would be all right, for tying an oil-soaked rag on to a pole and holding it out over the front porch just as Zozomee was about to begin the last dance, thought himself very well paid and enjoyed the ex- citement that he caused. It lasted about a half-minute. Everybody had a head up in the air, gaping. “What is that man doing?” Mrs. Harry half-screamed, her face upturned tensely. Guinnell was not looking at the flare. He was probably the only person on the lawn who had not jerked his head back as if by a spring. His fingers were deftly touching the streams of black tulle that flowed and sprayed around her throat as he answered— “Shall I go find out?” “Do, Bob. Do, _ please. agine——”’ The torch swiftly burned to a red glow. People began chattering, some with wonder as to what it meant; others forgot it as soon as their eyes were turned away. The orchestra returned to a preparatory thumming and strumming. Zozomee, enveloped in a long robe and wearing a narrow silken mask, came to the stage steps and waited. Guinnell passed close by her and spoke without pausing. She turned sharply and looked after him with an expression of won- derment not wholly concealed by the half- mask. He noticed two policemen standing near Mrs. Harry. They watched her as if await- ing a signal. Guinnell, who had not been anywhere near the servant, said to her: “Some guest got him to do it as a stunt. A little impromptu fireworks. He’s one of the men the caterer brought, so I don’t sup- pose it ’d do any good to fire him.” “Oh, well,” said Mrs. Harry, “it gave this bunch something to rubber at for a { can’t im- 117 minute. That’s something. That’s a whole lot! Til say that’s a lot when you’ve got the scenery cluttered up with a crowd that’lt try to look bored at the last big act when Gabriel plays a trump!’ The orchestra broke loose with a blare that died away into a sinister creepy motif suggestive of midnight assassins on the prowl, and a lithe form in blouse and skirt crept strealthily on to the platform. Zozomee carried a dagger of remarkable length; and some who saw it shivered for they didn’t know that it was made of rub- ber. Her hair had been caught up under the large cap affected by the Parisian under- world. She glided and whirled with sinuous turn and twist and more than one person re- marked that she looked the part, which was that of a wise, wicked, wild woman. She went through a pantomime of beseeching, seducing, quarreling with and finally mur- dering her lover. Guinnell was thnilled. The dance came to an end with Zozo- mee drawing furtively backward from the invisible body of the imaginary dead; and she backed into the policemen who had come on to the stage. At first it looked like a part of the act, a harshly inartistic effort to make the ending sensational. Zozomee whecled and faced them in- dignantly. ‘““What’s the meaning of this?” she. ex- claimed. But she was not theatrical about it, so people who heard felt disappointed and thought her a poor actor. “Sorry, miss,” said one of the huskies, “but you are charged with stealin’ Mrs. Webster’s necklace.” An audible gasp and buzzing mutter went over.the crowd. Art is great, but one little touch of the real thing ‘widens eyes, opens mouths, stirs the pulse. “Of stealing!”’ “Yes,” said both policemen. ‘““A necklace?” One policeman grunted and the other nodded. « “What kind of a necklace?” The men looked down helplessly toward Mrs. Webster. She stood slim, sleek and black with Guinnell and her husband beside her. Mrs. Harry made no sign and said nothing, but watched lke the most curious. This was CORMICLOO CS (©