Adventure, December 1914 — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

160 him rudely. ‘She don’t know anything. She played her hand and lit out.” ‘“Good luck go with her!” invoked Mr. Link devoutly. ‘Faith, she played it dum- med well. I’m looking for a capful myself of all this small change she started coming.”’ “Oh, Lord!’ wailed the lawyer. ‘He’s hooked too!” Mr. Ball was staring at the box-fighter curiously. ‘“‘What’s the idea, Joseph?” he inquired. Mr. Link sat down and crossed his legs with the deliberation that characterized his unprofessional movements. ‘“‘When they’re cutting melons I like to be around,” he stated. “I’ve got the price of a small slice in my pocket.” “Oho!” cried Mr. Ball. ‘A pool! That’s the bee in your bonnet!’ “It is,” acknowledged Mr. Link with gravity. ‘‘And the mate to it is in yours, me laddy-buck. I can hear it buzzing.” MR. BALL’S reply was arrested by the entrance of Mr. Carter and his secretary. Mr. Carter evinced un- usual pleasure at seeing the reporter. “Good boy, Teddy!” he exclaimed. ‘‘Was thinking of you. Want you to write an ad for me. All the morning papers.”’ ‘“‘What’s up?” Mr. Drew asked. ‘Going to tip the public off?” 7 He tried to make his tone cuttingly sar- castic, but failed. He would not confess it, but the boy’s phenomenal luck, or what- ever it should be called, had affected him— infected is perhaps the better word. “He wants to advertise for ‘mother,’ ”’ put in Mr. Teeters with a leer at Mr. Ball. ‘‘Home is not the same since mother went away.” “Drop it!’ commanded Charley. “Say something like this, Teddy: Boston Cop- per lady. Dined at Rirebien, Monday 14th. Want to see her. Her advantage. Charley.” Mr. Link looked wise and nodded at Mr. Drew. Mr. Ball pretended not to see it, yet he refrained from putting into words a question his lips had framed; there was that in the set of Mr. Carter’s mouth which made him class it as an extra-hazardous risk. In lieu of it he said: “TI get you, Charles. I’ll make a classic of an ad. She’ll come like the swallows homeward fly. Say,” he added hurriedly, ‘Joe here wants to dip his beak in your porridge.”’ Adventure “Huh! He won’t die alone. million like him,’’? commented Mr. Teeters. ‘“‘Lay down, ye spalpeen—roll over and play dead!” growled the ex - champion. “The little monkey-man from the Scream is right, Charley, me lad. I’ve a thousand I want you to invest for me. I need the money.” ‘“‘Hle needs a commission de lunatico in- quirendo,”’ amended Mr. Drew. ‘“Some- body ought to tell his friends about him.” “Risky, Joe,” objected Charley. ‘Luck. May change tomorrow.” “Luck, d’ye call it!’ scoffed Mr. Link. “All right. Hand me a sample and I'll eat it. Am I onP” “Sure,” agreed Charley. sport. Hope we win.” “Yve got five hundred,” drawled Mr. Ball, endeavoring to appear unconcerned. ‘“‘I was going to buy a diamond, but “ ‘Bless the saints, I called him!’ guffawed the middleweight. ‘I saw it in his eye!” ‘‘Anybody else?’ queried Charley. He looked at Mr. Drew and grinned. ‘Lend you a thousand,” he offered. The lawyer’s face grew purple with con- fusion. He was stampeded and he knew it. He had felt himself going from the first. To tell the plain truth, he was itching to get his finger in the pie, and had been for sev- eral days. To cover his surrender he roared out now: ‘‘Damme, sir, do you think I’m a pauper? Put me down for five thousand dollars. If you lose it es “Take it out of Uncle Bill’s two million,” Charley suggested to him blandly, and turned to Mr. Teeters. “Coming in, Skeet?” he asked. “On what?”’ demanded the secretary pas- sionately. ‘‘Wind? I ain’t saved a cent, Come-On. A dip won’t even look at me when I come along. He’s afraid I'll try to borrow off him!’’ ‘“You’re down for five hundred,” Charley told him. “Take it out your pay. Stow it!’—as Mr. Teeters essayed a tremulous reply.” ‘“‘What’s the cue?”’ questioned Mr. Ball, now all eagerness. ‘“‘What you going to play tomorrow?” “U.S. Paper Collars,” said Charley. “Closed at 717. Gain of two points.” Mr. Drew proclaimed this, and instantly bit his lip. He had been studying stocks, it seemed. “Game old comicloool< There’s a | C©