Adventure Magazine Cover, October 1911 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

982 Wire me what train you will take, and stop off at Benton. I’ll meet you with an auto. As ever, your friend, CARMELITA. She wrote one more letter that night. It was to a girl friend, lately married to a Den- ver millionaire, and seemed to have some bearing on the situation. . Of course, Nance, it’s awfully good of you to worry ; ‘about me, but I must live by my wits—it’s in the blood. Any other kind of existence would bore me todeath. And if, now and then, I can give some poor fellow ‘“‘a leg up,” as the boys say, that’s my religion; and if I can puncture some other chap’s dirigible—just as he thinks he’s the indispensable Lord High Everything Else—that’s my meat and drink. You know what Dad was—and I’m a chip of the old block. Now, about doing something for me—and I know you mean it—here’s a little trick all cut out for you. In a few days I’m going to send you by express train a dear old d German—well, let’s be polite and call him a Herr Professor. I think he’s crazy, but he’s a darling just the same, even though he’s horri- bly in the way at present. His particular bug is making gold—out of nothing, you understand—and between you and me, Nance, looking over the wide circle of my indigent friends, I know of no one who stands more in need of it and looks less likely to make any than he does. I want you to pose as the patron- ess of all the sciences. Keep him as long as you possibly can; Denver will interest him. He'll give you a lot of hot air about collecting gold out of the dust in Arapahoe Street, but he isn’t dangerous. See that nobody locks him up; promise to interest yourself in his researches and give him a hundred dollars or so as an evidence of good faith. By the way, his name is Reindecker, and I'll wire you when he leaves. Lovingly, CARM. III ON A BENCH high up on the , mountain-side Manahan sank in an exhausted heap. He had begun by panting and protesting most horribly against being dragged on foot up the steep grade, but had gradually lost sight of his exertions in the story Carmelita was telling. She told it remarkably well; and then, hav- ing seated herself beside him, she opened her hand and disclosed—like the welcome period at the end of a well-rounded sentence—an oval-shaped button of gold in the pink and white palm. -The Big Person bent over it breathlessly. “Tt looks good to me!” he puffed. ‘And when you think it was produced at a cost of about ninety-five cents—sounds like a bargain day, doesn’t it?”’ . ‘It sure does! Andhe says it’s pure gold?” Adventure “Infinitely more so than is ever found in I should think there’s at shouldn’t a natural state. least ten dollars worth in it, youe”’ ‘“‘EKasy enough, if it’s straight goods,” assented Manahan, hefting it knowingly in his hand. ‘“‘Let me get it weighed and tested for you, eh?”’ “Oh, will you? I was just wishing you would. You see, it would scarcely do for me to walk into a jeweler’s with it; they’d begin asking questions.” ‘Let them!” “Yes, but a woman is apt to give ve everything she knows, and “Is she?” said Manahan quizzically. “You don’t appear to be afflicted that way; that is, not if I’m really the first you’ve told about this. On the level, now cs ‘“‘Oh, you certainly are!” cried Carmelita. ‘‘And I don’t suppose I’d have told you,”’ she added candidly, “if I hadn’t felt that you could advise me right.” > Manahan wiped the perspiration from his heated but gratified brow, and with his dis- engaged hand softly patted her shoulder. “You can trust Papa,” he said with ele- phantine jocoseness. ““Of course I trust you,” sweetly, “‘or I wouldn’t have told you. the other fellow I’m bothered about.”’ “The other fellow?” ‘““Yes, the man in Kansas City.” ‘““Who’s he? What’s his business?” ‘“‘He’s president of the Imperial Trust.” “Ts that so? Well, what’s he got to do with it?” ‘Professor Glauber went to his bank one day to raise money on some gold he had. There was a good deal of alloy in it, and he offered it at so low a price the banker be- came suspicious, questioned him, and finally got the whole story. Glauber proved that he could produce gold, although at that time it was a slow, tedious process, unsuccessful four times out of five. The banker knew a sure thing when he saw it, so he tied old Glauber up with a contract, and from time to time has advanced him a few thousand dollars. and Glauber would rather forget his formula than let the other fellow in for too much velvet.” “Well, what’s he want to tell this Mis. sourian anything about it for?”’ “Because he can’t help himself! What good is his discovery if he can’t work it on replied Carmelita It’s CO Lately he’s refused to help him,’ MICLOOKS S|