Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 217: what you’re looking at

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

The get a man in his place. Darn his picture! He left on the two-sixteen for El Paso, where he said he had a better job. I hope he chokes on it!’ “Gone!”’ groaned the fighter: And did he leave me anything?” The fat man, who seemed to be the pro- prietor of the hotel, pulled a bulky envelope from a pigeonhole and handed it to Abe. ‘Said to give you this when you came in. ‘Abe Bernstein!’ Is that your name?” ‘“You betcha it is!’”’ said Abe, and grabbed the package. His relief and delight were boundless, and he blessed the honesty of the clerk who had fulfilled his trust even though leaving his job. He crammed the envelope into his pocket and turned to the cigar-counter, expecting to see Carola there and waiting for him. But his eyes encountered the black face of a bell-boy. “Oi, oi!” he cried. ‘‘Where is the lady?” “Well, if it’s any interest to you,” said the proprietor impatiently, ‘“‘she flew the coop with Darrow. They went and got married this morning, and she came down here with all her grips and things ready to go with him. You can'*t rely on no one, no more.” . Abe looked at Marty and Marty looked back at Abe. The latter cursed deeply and awfully. The faint and distant sound of an engine whistling for a crossing was borne to their ears. These two would have let it pass unheed- ed, but the anxious Crabbe would not allow it. He grasped them by the arms. “Beat it!” he growled. ‘‘You’ve got the coin. What are you waitin’ for—a lynching party?” They yielded to his insistence and follow- ed him from the hotel. He led the way at a run toward the station, and they were lucky enough to arrive in time to catch the train just as it was getting under way. Heedless of the stares of the outraged passengers, they sought the sleeper and en- sconced themselves in a stateroom. Al- though still dazed at Carola’s defection, Abe sought consolation in examining their loot. As for Marty, from the time he had realized the hopelessness of winning the “Gone! Trap 215 fight, he had dismissed the girl from his cal- culations, and was therefore only affected by satisfaction that Abe, at least, should have failed to win her. The three leaned over the envelope when Abe drew it from his pocket. He opened it beneath their eyes and drew from it a roll of blank paper and a note. Then he cursed again, more frightfully than before. It was Crabbe who picked up the note and read it. MEssrs. BERNSTEIN, SIMPSON AND DEVLIN: DEAR SIRs: You probably do not remember that I was for- merly a clerk at the Munich Hotel in Saint Louis, but I remember your party very well indeed. Mr. Devlin’s close resemblance to the noted champiou McGuire was also very well known to me, as was the fact that he has already impersonated that gentleman on several occasions. I recognized Mr. Holy Simpson at once, and so was not deceived by Mr. Devlin. I regret that pressing business calls my wife and myself away, and that I can not remain to help the adjustment of the matter in which I was commis- sioned. As for the sums placed in my charge, I have considered carefully. It occurs to me that the said sums were deposited for the purpose of being paid to the winner of a fight between Mr. Bernstein and Mr. McGuire. As Mr. Bernstein has not fought Mr. McGuire, I can hardly hand him the money, if, as I presume he will, he wins the present combat. I would, of course, return the sum to the depositors, but I understand that they intended it for a purse for a finish fight, which is against the law. ‘Therefore I feel that I would be a party to the crime if I disposed of it in that way. I can not make up my mind what to do with it. So, for the present, at least, I shall keep it in cus- tody. If any of the claimants to same care to ap- pear in El Paso—where, I have heard, Mr. Bern- stein and Mr. Simpson are anxiously loeked for in connection with another little episode ef similar character—I shall be happy to listen to any argu- ments they may have at command. In the meantime, Mrs. Darrow sends her kindest regards and begs me to assure Mr. Bernstein and Mr. Devlin that she was at the hotel with her bags, but that she could not wait for them. Very truly, James W. Darrow. Abe sat stunned for five minutes. The uniformed person of the conductor making his way through the car enlivened him. ‘“‘What are we doing in a stateroom?” he moaned. “It’s the day-coach smeker for They gathered what baggage they had and wended their dejected ways forward. Comicboooks CO