Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 203: what you’re looking at

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

The Trap telling it to you, Miss Carola, so help me, that my great-grandfather is a Egyptian Prince, and nothing less! What am I say- ing? I didn’t mean to let that out, I as- sure you.” Miss Carola opened her eyes in proper awe. “What!” she ejaculated. ‘‘An Egyptian Prince! Why, Mistah Kelly, yuh astonish me.”’ “Oh, not me!” he deprecated instantly. “I’m a plain Amurican meself. He was run outa Egypt long ago and lost all the jew’ls and things he had over there. My family didn’t have more’n enough to send me through them colleges. I had to go to work like common folks, and some day I’d like to tell you how I come to take up the fightin’ game. But you don’t blame me for gettin’ sore over havin’ to associate with rough- necks like this here McGuire, do you, and bein’ called names like them?” “Why, no indeed!” exclaimed Carola. *T should think the grandson of a Prince would simply have a fit if he was called anything like that! I hope you whip that man, Mistah Kelly—I do so!”’ This outspoken favoritism encouraged Abe: He leaned over the cigar-case and fixed his ardent eyes upon her face, which she was constrained to draw back a little. ‘Miss Carola,” he murmured through set teeth, “if you give me the office, I’ll only hit that guy once, and then, if he’s still standin’ up, I’ll go around behind him and see what is propping him! If you encourage me, Miss Carola, I aim to make him so hard to catch that every one will think he’s a rabbit.” Even Carola, unsophisticated as she was, began to have a vague suspicion that Abe’s diction and methods of expressing himself were losing their elegance in the stress of excitement. But perhaps she thought that he had merely been forced to associate with rough characters for so long that he had picked up habits of speech rather incom- patible with the education he boasted. However, he embarrassed her with his in- tent regard, and she was compelled to lower her gaze before his, while something like a flush crept over her cheek. “T really hope you punish him,” she said vaguely, but he read in this very uncer- tainty of expression a confession of the interest he had excited in her. “Oh, don’t you worry!” he said por- 20I tentously, and with a considerable access of familiarity toward her. ‘‘I’ll make that guy wish he was a Quaker before I’m through with him.” Then he departed, walking with a pro- nounced strut, his hat tilted to a jauntily belligerent angle. Later Dinky Burgess stopped before the stand and confided in Carola, who was habitual recipient of more secrets than she could remember. “Say, Miss Carola,” he told her excitedly, “this is the biggest thing I ever put across and I’m going to make a big winning with it. Then it’s me that’s through with the sporting game and the rough-necks for good, There ain’t no class in promoting— but, believe me, when I’ve put this across I’ll be able to put on dog with the best of them. It’s the last time, Miss Carola, I give you my word, and after this fight I’m going to settle down and be a gentle- man.” Miss Carola smiled encouragingly and gladly. She really felt pleased. “Y’m so glad, Mistah Burgess,’”’ she murs mured. ‘Of cou’se I know that all these prize fightehs ahe not ruffians, foh this Mistah Kelly is a very nice young man. But I’m suah that you will be mo’e re- spected if you take up some otheh line. I’d cehtainly be happy to know that you had given this up.” There was enough of feeling in her voice to give Burgess more encouragement than he had had for a long time. He was im- pelled to lean toward her, even as Kelly had done. “Well, it’ll be your doing,” he asserted earnestly. “If it wasn’t for you, Miss Carola, I wouldn’t ever have thought there was anything low in it. I’d ha’ kept right on and been satisfied. But a girl like you can do anything with a man.” “Oh, suahly not!’ deprecated Carola. “It’s only that you can see yuahself that it isn’t quite genteel when yuah attention is called to it. Even Mistah Kelly sees it.”’ A cloud settled on Burgess’s florid coun- tenance. “Say, Miss Carola,’’ he complained, “I ain’t sayin’ a word against the Jew, remem- ber, but just the same it ain’t right that you should get thick with him. I’m nothin’ but a fight promoter and haven’t no call, may- be, to get pious, but I can’t help thinkin’ that I’m a shade above a pug. It kind of CoMmicboooks CO